Tough Choices

What Are Good Choices? What Are Bad Choices? How Do We Decide Between Them?

Everyone makes good choices and bad choices. EVERYONE! It's called being an human. The fact is that some make more good choices then bad ones and some don't. It all depends on what you make it. If noone make bad choices how would we know how to truly understand the good choices we make. Think about it. It's like, if it never rained, how could truly be thankful for the sunshine. And how will the rainbow be able to show?

You learn from your mistakes that's how you grow. Of course there are major mistakes and there are minors ones. Such as, doing drugs and getting addicted to herion or something. That's something major. However, things such as, lying to your parents about petty things or even starting a food fight in your school's cafeateria is minor.

How do you choice between good choices and bad choices. Personally I think about the worse thing that could possibily happen in both scenerios and sk myself if it's worth it or not. Soetimes they are not but, sometimes they are. You only live once so you have to make the best out of your life.

Fitting In

Trying to fit into a crowd or a group is totally normal. Everybody wants to fit in right? It makes you feel as though you're part of group and you're wanted somewhere, you're not just the third wheel. However, it is very difficult to try and force yourself to fit in someplace where you don't belong.

I remember lots of times when I didn't fit into a particular crowd or group and it made me feel unwanted. I felt as though I didn't belong and I was different. It's a terrible feeling. I was young then, and started to think that something was wrong with me. Why wasn't I good enough to fit in? Is it my hair? The way I dress? Like what was it? Then, I had to open my eyes and realize that I didn't fit in that group for a reason. That wasn't me. I belonged someplace else where the true me could shine and be comfortable doing it.

See, there are too many people trying to be who there not just to fit in. The "cool crowd" isn't always the crowd for you. Even though you want it to be. You have to be yourself and stick to it. Be honest with yourself and you will shine for being you.

" What is popular is not always right, what is right is not always popular"

Sometimes you have to let people in. Let them express themselves to you and not treat them as outcasts. Everybody doesn't have that dominate mind set of not needing to fit in. They look for someone to accept them. So it's a two way street. You can't judge a book by its cover. Get to know them and then make your decision wisely.

Martin Luther King Jr

"...injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."-Martin Luther King Jr.

I believe that means that if there is injustice happening to people to one part of the world, then
the enitre world is in jeopardy and should take notice. People should care about each other and
stand up for what's right no matter how small. For example, if you are aware of people doing
inhuman behavioryou should use your voice and speak up for all the appropriate reasons.

"One person can make a difference"

When you see inapropriate behavior taking place imagine if you were in the victim's the shoes.
Would you want to be treated like that? How would you feel if people who had the ability to
speak up for you didn't? I don't think it will feel so great. Martin Luther King couldn't have
been more when he spoke the words "Every man must decide whether he will walk in the
light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness"

True Definition Of A Good Citizen

I believe that people think just because you follow laws and dictatorship of society you are being a good citizen. But in fact, there is way more than that to become a good citizen.

To be a good citizen first you have to be a good person. You got to have morals and principles, and go sometimes out of your way to help others. When joining all these aspects together you will find out that, that's the true meaning of a good citizen.

One important thing about being a good citizen is helping people. All around us, we can see there are always people in need for our help. As a good citizen it is your job to help those in need from the kindness of your heart. Talking about people and putting others down is not being a good citizen. Also you don't make the person feel bad about needing your help because that's not the definition of truly helping someone. And when I'm talking about these people that need help I'm not talking about poor people. Poor people may be a fraction of it, however pregnant people, people with disabilities, and just people who need someone to lean on. Little actions makes big differences in people lives.

I'm not saying try and go out and save the world or go deal with everybody else drama. That's impossible and is a huge stress on yourself. Before you can help others you have to make sure that you are taking care of yourself first. How can you help someone and give them advice when your not fully stabled yourself? So just remember part of being a good citizen is also making sure that your happy to.

Do a "Secret Service"

If someone would do a secret service on me and give me a surprise anonymously I would be shocked. Immediately I would try to figure out who gave it to me. I will feel loved and as if someone cared about me, knowing that they sent me a gift. It shows that they have good feelings towards me and they like me. And it will most likely encourage me to do the same thing to someone else who is as generous.

A secret service that I did for someone leave a candy bar in my friend locker. I left a letter saying this is for being an awesome friend, your secret admirer. Everything was good I thought until she looked at it and immediately knew it was from me. Reason how she knew it was me because I'm like the only one who knows her combination to her locker. Which pretty much sucks so I messed up and found out that I'm not as clever as I thought I was. But she was grateful, enjoyed it, and kept on laughing over it. Next time I will have to leave it somewhere, where she wouldn't just she automatically know it's me.

I felt good doing it, because she is a really good friend and it made her happy so I was also. And we both ended up eating it because sharing is caring. So it was something little that made a difference in our friendship. All of this while being a good citizen.

September 11th, 2001

On September 11th, 2001 I do not remeber where I was or even what I was doing. It seem like so long ago but, it was only 9 years ago. After it happened I do remember being amazed by how the build fell so easily. It was shocking I didn't believe that it was true until I noticed everyone crying. I don't even think I cried over the gruesome event. I probably did because I was so young and you know how little kids cry everytime they see someone else crying.

I think I found out about the event by the news. The buildings falling over and over and over again like it happened multiple times. I don't believe I had any family members that was trapped in that situation. However, the event has affected my comunity terribly even years later. People cried over and over again for a long time. It took a long time for things to go back to normal as though nothing ever happened. I do remember people talking about how security was really bad everywhere after the event. I even experienced it when I went to New York, New York years later. Securtiy was still bad so you know people was still holding on to the terrible event.

If I can change one thing in America since Septmeber 11th it would be the war we are fighting now because of it. The lives that are lost additional to September 11th because we needed to place blame on someone. I would prevent that war someway so that, even though we didn't get revenge we still would have our soliders.

What Is Community Service?

Communtiy Service. Communtiy service is helping your community volunitarily. Your not being paid for it, but your giving to the community that helped raised you. Making you community better in many ways.There are many ways you can do community service in your community. You can help at a soup kitchen, helping those who are less fortunate, help at a salvation army, and just tutor those who need help. Many places need volunteers in there community to reach out.

I do a number of community services to give back. I would say the one that work the best, is the one where I'm helping the elderly at Park Ridge Hospital. Something as simple as sitting down and talking and playing games with elders is making a difference. Community service is not hard or a burden, it's just something you have to be committted for. I have had nothing but positive experiences with my community service. It makes me feel very proud of myself at the end of the day. I did something productive with my time such as being a postitve person in someone's life.

Community service is both a choice and a responsibilty. You choose whether or not your up for the job and can handle to amount of responsibilty. Community service is very poor in our country then it is in other countries I believe. We need more people here to give back and help those who are in need.

How does helping others make you feel fully human?

Helping others makes me feel fully human because it shows that I'm serving a purpose. I'm not just in it for myselp but helping others around me when they need help. Thats how you get people to help you when your down and how you gain respect. Being selfish is going to get you nowhere. I help my family, friends and others whenever I can because that's what I'm here for. So there is not just one specific person I help. Ans this has changed my self-view on myself and others. I feel guilty and uncomfortable now when I let something pass when I know I could of helped out and changed an outcome from happeneing. And now I look at others different, from the ones that help and stick around to the ones that don't.