karatetentacles

I feel like no one really knows what's going on in my life anymore. I'm too busy living to try and explain what all is going on. So here's what's going on:

NEWSPAPER: Every other Wednesday is "deadline night." Which means I stay at school until 7 or 8 to finish my stories. I've written a feature on Qi Chen, my internet friends column, a news story on the Supreme Court ruling Citizens United vs the Federal Elections Commission, and, most recently, a boring story about teachers in my school district getting paid blah blah blah no one cares. The boring story caused me to be at school until 7 last night. Whoo.

FREELANCER: The literary magazine of which I am the editor blah. Money is probably still and issue, but we're focusing on actually making sure there will be an issue. I've been staying after school most nights working on it. It's time consuming, but will be worth it. And thank god I'm not alone.

STUCO: Student Council. I'm running for exec again this year. I lost last year. I told a speech about a stegosaurus. I've been bribing freshmen with candy. Voting just happened so I'll know the results after school tomorrow. I'm tremendously nervous. I have to win. Send good vibes my way! Also, I had a shadow from Blue Springs' Student Council today. She was nice, but didn't laugh at my "jokes," which was awkward. But then this other guy from Blue Springs seemed to understand my humor and we got along pretty well during lunch, so that's good. Hopefully next week I'll get to go to their school and shadow someone.

HOMEWORK: AHAP is eating my soul with insane amounts of reading. I should be doing more of my calculus homework, but I'm not. My grades are doing ok, luckily. I'm in NHS, at least. The induction ceremony is next week.

Somehow, I manage to go to sleep at 10 or 11 every night. I think it's because I'm just so exhausted I collapse without making sure everything is done, or rushing to get everything done. So I'm on the internet a lot less, which stinks, but is ok.

Love you, blogosphere. You're cool guys.

Remember you live in a country that allows you to say you hate it.

Remember you live in a country where you can blog, where you have internet access, where you can access information.

Remember you live in a country where you can participate in the legal process.

Remember you live in a country that millions -- billions -- dream about. Remember you have opportunities some people can't even begin to imagine.

Remember you live in a country where people can stand up for themselves: African Americans, women, now gays.

Remember you live in an "experiment." It's a process, and it has been working, and we'll get there. To that idealized land of opportunity and freedom and justice for all; where the rights of the Constitution will be applied fairly and justly and rightly; where bigots don't exist and equality is all around.

Remember that for all its flaws, there is someone out there trying to reform your country.

Some people are oblivious.
I'm jealous.
I'm dutifully aware.
I observe and I listen.
I think and I conclude.
While you're dancing downstairs,
happy,
content,
innocent,
while the paranoid wipe their eyes
and say they're tired
and can't sleep.

The complete guide to making everything as awkward as possible! Anyone can do it! All you need:

-- a high school
-- a lunch table with other people
-- a phone
-- a disappointing glare
-- inborn awkwardness!

1) Find a table in your high school's cafeteria that's already occupied. It's better if you recognize some of the people, so they have some idea who you are (trust me, it makes it even more awkward).

2) Listen to the friends at the table exchange tales of fancy and Friday night fiascoes. Don't ever enter the conversation. Act aloof, text, put on headphones without music playing, but always be listening and retaining information.

3) After each story, make a disappointing glare at the story's teller.

4) If the teller is looking around the table and makes eye contact with everyone at the table, wait until (s)he sees you and break the connection.

5) Look immediately at your lap, pull up your phone, and send a text to anyone. Make sure you have a sly grin on your face; that way the teller will think you are talking about him/her.

-- Mom walks in my room to wake me up.
-- Groan and go to sleep an extra 5-10 minutes.
-- Wake up, get dressed, pee, brush teeth.
-- Pack my backpack, put on shoes, walk downstairs, go to class.
-- School, where I sit and I learn and I absorb and I try to get those meaningless points to get that pointless A. Figure I don't really have to try that hard to get a B, that an 89.4 looks the same as a 79.5 once report cards come out, zone out for whatever the teacher's talking about.
-- Focus what little energy I have into stuff I actually care about: newspaper, FreeLancer, reading the books for English, AHAP, occasionally calculus, the rare chemistry worksheet.
-- Stay after school usually until 3:30, sometimes later.
-- Go home, nap, talk to people on skype, eat something, internet.
-- Homework.
-- Talk to people on skype
-- More homework.
-- More talking.
-- Sleep at 12:34.