Reality is Real

Over the past several years, reality shows have been sweeping the pop culture scene. Shows consist of everything from to modeling competitions to true life counseling shows. In my opinion, many of these shows are quite helpful. They show real-life people with real-life struggles. People can relate to others' problems and ways of thinking. This helps encourage others to know that there is hope and help for fixing their problems. Some of these types of television shows can be quite shallow, but many can be useful. Shows such as Dr. Phil and The Doctors can be helpful in treating and discovering health and family problems. People like to see people that they can relate to so seeing families on Dr. Phil helps encourage others to reach out. Also, shows like Oprah and The Tyra Show shed light on common issues of today and help people to overcome these challenges. Although many of these shows are useful, some shows are completely dispensable. Shows about partying teens and relationship drama often give false images on the way teenagers should behave. Overall though, I find reality television to be quite entertaining. I hope that these shows are around for many years to come.

Lights, Camera, Action

The movie I find to be the best is called Where the Wild Things Are. This movie is based on the book by Maurice Sendak. Although it is based on a children's book, the movie is really for all ages. Where the Wild Things Are consists of the story of a young boy with attention and anger isssues. He is caught in a world where his mother is dating new men and his sister is a teenager and is far to busy for him. The boy, Max, decides that he has had enough. Max runs away and fines a sail boat. He sails far away to a new land and meets many new beastly pals. These friends soon make him their kinga nd Max decides to stay. Everything goes well at first because Max can relate to these eccentric characters and they think he will make things better for him. Soon though, conflicts errupt whenever they discover Max really is not a king. Max makes ammends though and realizes that he needs to go back home and be part of his family again. This movie is inspirational and truly one of a kind. I highly recommend this movie for anyone with children or that can relate to not feeling like they belong.

A Canadian Wonderland

Although most people's ideal vacation consists of laying on a tranquil beach, hiking up Mount Everest, or riding the most insane roller coasters on Earth, mine is quite different. I would start my ideal journey on the back of a large brown moose. This moose would carry me all the way to a small little cabin in Manitoba, Canada. Inside would be a large pile of freshly chopped wood and next to it a scruffily young lumberjack, wearing plaid of course. He and I would make delicious pancakes together with a pitcher of smooth maple syrup. Then afterwards we would walk a few blocks to a huge mall. We of course would partake in numerous hours of shopping. Then we would go back to the cabin. We would spread out a large comforter on the roof, lay on it, and look up at the stars. The Aurora Borealis would be clearly visible. Since I am interested in astronomy, I would be able to talk for hours about the legends of the stars. After our star-gazing, I would board the moose yet again and head for the nearest hotel. Obviously I was not going to be sleeping in a smelly old cabin. The next morning, I would board a train and ride peacefully all the way back home. I would also get some delicious complimentary peanuts, and I would cherish this memory for forever.

Holiday Hooblah

Every Thanksgiving my family gets together at my great grandmother's house. Although for most people the excitement of the holiday is during Thanksgiving day, but for me and my family, it starts the day after. The day after is called "Black Friday." Every year, my family and I fight the crowds for the best deals on merchandise. Even though most people dread crowded shopping, it is my favorite way to shop. Shopping is far more thrilling when there are a lot of people to mingle with. To me it is worth it to shop on Black Friday, not only does it stimulate the economy, but also the savings are immense. No matter how old we all get and how our health fluctuates, we somehow always make it a necessity to go after Thanksgiving shopping. Hopefully, as time progresses, we will be able to keep up this tradition. In conclusion, going Black Friday shopping is a tradition I enjoy that I hope to continue.

Big City Dreams

Linton, most people have never heard of it, yet for me, it is a place I call home. As soon as you approach this town, you see sign after sign with our famous logo, "You'll Like Linton." I suppose we put these signs as almost a sort of brain washing mechanism trying to convince visitors that they will enjoy their stay here. Although Linton seems small, it is actually the largest city in the county (Greene County to be exact). The summer is when all the excitement really starts to get going. We put on our traditional Fourth of July parade which is actually the biggest in the state. This draws in many tourists. Also throughout the week of the Fourth of July, Linton's carnival comes into town. Later in the year over Labor Day weekend, Linton hosts the annual Linton Music Festival at the park. Bands from all over Indiana and the rest of the country come and perform music of all genres. It is almost like Greene County Woodstock. The people here are a different story. Unlike most big cities, Linton does not contain the same amounts of racial, cultural, and religious minorities. Many of the people here partake in a small town mindset, and almost everyone knows everyone else and their families. This can be a good thing, but can also be quite annoying. All in all, Linton is a pleasant little town for raising families,which is causing more and more expansion here every year.

Hole in Two

When I was three years old, my mother finally decided I was old enough to get my ears pierced. I had waited for this day since I could remember. My mother took me to the mall in Bloomington to a store called Claires. As much as I wanted to get my ears pierced, when it came time I started getting really nervous. All I could imagine was the scene on the movie, "The Parent Trap," when the girl gets her ears pierced with a needle and a lemon wedge. To this day I still wonder why on earth they would put that on a childrens' movie, seems like it would cause kids to never get their ears pierced. When we finally arrived at Claires, I was near tears before I even sat down in the chair. However, the clever lady who worked their told me that if I did not cry, I could pick out what color sucker I wanted. Seeing as how pink was my favorite color, and there was only one pink sucker left, I toughed it out. I held back my tears and she and another lady on another side pierced both ears at once. To my surprise it did not even hurt, and I learned not to stress myself out over something before it even happens.

A Trip to Remember

Over spring break a few years back, my mother and I had gotten into a fight. Since she was so mad at me, she sent me to stay with my grandparents as punishment. However, I absolutely love staying with my grandparents so, to me, it was not really punishment at all. My grandparents decided to take me on a small trip to the French Lick Resort and Casino. This was my first time ever going there, so I had no idea what to even expect. I knew my grandma loved to gamble so I figured that it was probably just some trashy old casino infested with retired old geezers. When I arrived though, my perception of the place was modified. The hotel was colossal with ornate detail in every square inch. The decorating was sophisticated and reminiscent of the 1920's. I marveled at the beauty and magnificence of the immaculate hotel. Over the course of the next few days, I enjoyed a luxurious life-style. I went shopping at the stores within the hotel, swam at the pool, and even went bowling inside the hotel itself! What had started out as a punishment soon transformed into one of the most memorable weeks of my life.

Little White Lies

Although I often tell many joking lies, most are not really serious. Usually I just say nothing rather than make up something obscure. I recall one particular lie that I got in serious trouble for. My younger brother was about four years old, meaning I was approximately fourteen. He was really frustrating me by asking me nonsense questions and intentionally trying to pester me. Instead of answering regularly I decided I had had enough and made up a lie. I told him that he was my least favorite brother, to which he replied that he was my only brother. However, did you think that stopped me and my quick-witted thinking? Of course it did not. I made up a fabricated story about me having little tiny little brothers that lived in our cabinets. These little cretins I told him were called "Greeeeemlins" and that he was required to say it just in that very manner. I told him that these gremlins were vicious and stealthy, but only around people they do not like. Obviously, I told him that the gremlins absolutely loathed him and that if he was mean to me they would scamper into his room and feast on his flesh in the night. This severly frightened my brother and made it so he had trouble sleeping. In the end, my parents were furious with me and I ended up getting grounded all for a simple little made up story.