Madson 6- Manzo Genes

I started off this blogging assignment talking about my family. Specifically, my dad's side. Now, I will end it talking about my mom's. Her family is just as important to me, if not more.

Christmas just passed, my favorite time of the year now gone. Christmas was a rough one for me this year. I love this holiday because of all of the traditions it holds, but this year it was not the same. Last year, my immediate family went to Hawaii over winter break, so all the traditions I missed out of last year I was really looking forward to.

Meagan, my cousin, more like sister, was not home this year. I spend almost every moment of Christmas with her. We sing in our church's choir, so we attend three church services every Christmas, just the two of us. We make cookies, sing songs, we even wear matching pajamas.  She was with her boyfriends family this year.  Of course I am more than happy for her, but I still really missed her.  Everything was different this year without her there. I was sad, but still looking forward to seeing all of my other family.

Well, I was wrong. On their way up to Nazareth from Cape May, New Jersey, my grandparents got sick. They turned around and never made it to our Christmas. I was beyond devastated. Not only did I miss out on seeing my favorite people, but I had to wait extra long for my grandma's cookies, the food they bring, and their amazing gifts. They always the greatest gifts because they always have such a special meaning. My grandparents are very near and dear to my heart. I share so much of my life with them, I relate to them both in a way I do no one else.

So, my Christmas was very different this year. Once again, however, I realized my love for my family. The holidays are my favorite time of the year because of them, not just because of all of the charades. I have such a connection with them that I do not share with anyone else. Meagan, my Poppop and my Grandmas in particular. I could go on and on about how much they have impacted my life and how amazing they are, but that is not my point. I am so incredibly thankful for them all, I could never imagine my life without them. I hope while you're reading this that you have people coming to mind. If not, start thinking now. Family is important, never forget that, and never take it for granted.

Nigohosian 6: Constant Addiction

Recently as I was doing homework, I caught a bright flash in the corner of my eye. It was the familiar sight of getting a notification on my phone. It was at that moment when I stopped my work and checked my phone. Well, you would think that soon after I checked my phone I would put it down and get back to my work, but that is an incorrect assumption. I always wondered what makes phones so hard to put down, and in reality its because everything on them is designed to be addicting. Whether it’s the games you play or social media visit frequently, they have all been created to keep you on them for as long as possible. After researching a little bit of information about how apps are so addicting is because of the release of dopamine, and phones are specifically designed to elicit that release of dopamine. For example, slot machines are designed to cause our brains to release dopamine with the element of surprise and the noise created by the machines when pulling the slot. 

Phones are very similar in this aspect because there is an audible ring when you receive a notification on your phone and there is a surprise element of not knowing what notification we get. This suspense causes us to have the anxiety to check our phones, and if there is a notification that makes us happy we release small amounts of dopamine. Over time, our mind becomes accustomed to the dopamine releases and requires more dopamine to be happy. This is where the addiction comes from because we need more time on our phones to get the same happiness that we used with less time on our phones. Therefore, the more we use our phones the more addicting and the harder it becomes to put them down. Instead of falling into this loophole what do you guys think are effective solutions to not go on your phones as much?

Caleb Johns 6: the Golden Globes

I am not one that would ever want to or like to watch an award ceremony such as the Golden Globes. These award ceremonies are long, boring, and to me appear to be an example of rich and famous people wanting more praise and more recognition. But there was something last Sunday that drove me to watch the Golden Globes last Sunday, and I am glad that I did.

this picture is Tom Hank's reaction to Ricky Gervais's monologue

 It was Ricky Gervias who took center stage for his opening monologue, and he delivered on something that was controversial, honest, and absolutely hilarious. Now I have to be honest, on youtube, I’ll usually watch the comedic monologues that the award shows put out after the show concludes, it's the only part that I consider watchable. In these monologues, various famous comedians roast several of Hollywood's most famous, but Ricky Gervais's monologue felt different. His wasn’t a roast like the others, his was a massacre. 

No controversy was too controversial for Gervias, no topic off-limits as he gained the disgusted looks from various celebrities all throughout his performance. But what I’d like to talk about is the backlash Ricky Gervais's performance received, some saying that it was too offensive. 

This picture is Tom Hanks’s reaction to Ricky Gervais’s monologue. 

After hearing this, I immediately went on youtube and watched the monologue again, and I found that the real problem is that people take offense to too many things, and we just can’t take a joke. Now more than ever, I believe that it is vital that people learn to laugh at and not scream at a comedian who is, in the end, trying to make an audience laugh. 

Now don’t get me wrong, there is a clear distinction in saying offensive things just to be offensive versus making jokes to make people laugh that may be offensive to some people. To me, jokes are told with the best intentions behind them. Jokes are supposed to be clever and kind-hearted. And for the people who find themselves at the expense of a joke, none of it is supposed to be taken seriously, none of it is supposed to have any other meaning than a joke. 

If you want to, look at the Ricky Gervias monologue and comment if I’m either right and the critics are wrong or I’m wrong and Gervias was clearly out of line.

Or

Do you believe that people take jokes too seriously today? 

Alicia Zhang 6: Personality Test

 

 
   Recently, I've been stuck with the feelings of anxiety and worry regarding my future. I used to be a lot more confident, but maybe it was just plain old ignorance and the assurance that all I needed to do was to keep coasting along and follow my parents' lead. Now that I know that I really, really don't want to be anywhere near blood, I have had to reassess my job options. I want to genuinely enjoy and be successful in whatever career I end up choosing, and one of the courses of action that was recommended to me to help figure this out was to take a personality test. Truthfully, I don't put much stock into assessments of its kind on principle. It tries to sort people into neat little boxes, but human nature is messy, imperfect, and impossible to categorize. People lie, to themselves and to others, and for some, admitting their flaws and failings is a Herculean labor. In the end, what comes up as the result may not be true at all, and the test is rendered a dud.

   Even with all of these criticisms, I can still see the benefits of taking the test. It can improve one's self-confidence and is still useful when it comes to topics like relationships or potential careers. For proof, one can simply point to the many companies which require potential employees to take personality tests, and use them to assess whether the applicant is a good fit for the job or not. I have complained plenty, but I still went and took the test, partly for practical reasons and partly out of curiosity. It was fairly quick and lasted around 15 minutes, so time isn't a worry. I tried to answer as fairly and honestly as possible, but I'm only human, and some questions did cause me to think twice.

   I ended up with INTJ as my personality type. The website offered a section on careers for INTJs; I took a gander at it, and it didn't answer all my questions, but it answered enough. All in all, the personality test was what I expected going in, and I'm measurably satisfied. I'm still undecided on what specific career I'm going to choose, but I do know now that it will probably be in the Business field. I need to figure out my career before I start applying for colleges senior year, and taking the test got me one step closer to this goal. What do you guys and gals think about personality tests and their viability?

MaryJo 6: The New Decade

With the arrival of an entire new decade, it’s not surprising that this New Year’s was such a big deal for many people. Everyone flooded social media with pictures summarizing their decade, throwbacks to our childhoods, and jokes about 2020 vision. Usually, the new year is never a big deal for me since I know time is a relative concept, and a different number on the calendar isn’t going to determine whether I will eat healthier or learn to stop procrastinating my assignments. I’ve learned self growth is its own process requiring its own time and doesn't follow any calendar or schedule other than its own.

Even as I disregard new year’s resolutions, I can’t disregard the fact that this decade will mark an entire new period of my life. I realized that this past decade extended from when I was 8 to throughout all my teenage years, and it’s what I will identify as my childhood moving forward in my life. Very soon, in nearly 6 months, I will be legally considered an adult and move forward into a new stage of my life. Obviously, turning 18 doesn’t mean I will suddenly need to start finding my own place to live, paying taxes, or taking on other confusing responsibilities I’m probably not aware of yet, but it will justify my ability to be independent and begin my journey to start a new life for myself. Thinking about this almost seems like a joke to me, but it’s a reality that I will be forced to accept quicker than I would probably like.

For most of my life, one of my biggest fears was change. Even the smallest changes in my life or routine made me feel uneasy and uncomfortable. This fear paralyzed me from taking risks for myself, meeting new people, making new relationships, or regaining old ones. I constantly have a habit of looking back at how my life used to be and feeling such nostalgia and attachment to those memories that I begin to feel sorry for who I am now. Doing this always made me feel as if I needed to go back to how my life was so I wouldn’t have to miss it anymore. Nostalgia and all of the sentiments that come with it always make me feel sad and yearn for something that’s impossible for me to have back. If this year influences me to do anything, it is to be able to fondly appreciate my past while still being able to appreciate the way my life is now and having excitement for what my future holds. 

Even though I can’t live through the happiest moments in my life again, I have the ability to make new ones. I am still in a point of my life that holds more in front of me than there is behind me. All the mysteries my future holds, such as where I will graduate college, what career I will follow, and who I will marry remain to be found out and give me something to keep living for. I know none of these things, including a future, are promised, and every new day that I am able to wake up to is meant to be cherished. I once read someone say that the best part of life is figuring it out, and I am finally beginning to feel myself getting closer.

Alora Kutzler 6 "Music"

. When it comes to country music I am obsessed, there's just something about driving around listening to some Luke Combs or Morgan Wallen that just makes everything seem so perfect. I grew up on Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, and George Strait, I've been listening to country music since I was in the womb but I really fell in love with the genre last year when I was exposed to a whole new experience in life.

The people I was surrounded by and the person I spent the most time with really made me fall in love with country music. It was our music. So many of my memories from the last year always comes up when I listen to a certain country song. Music is such a powerful thing that holds so much importance to me. It brings such emotion and helps me reminisce. Luke Combs is a very popular country artist right now and his album “This One’s For You” holds so many memories for me and so much emotion that every single song I get a rush of happiness, sadness, etc.

Kieth Richards once said, “Music is a language that doesn’t speak in particular words. It speaks in emotions, and if it’s in the bones, it’s in the bones.” Music is such an incredible thing and it holds a certain place in everyone I believe. Life without music would be dull and lifeless. Imagine a world not dancing around with your friends blasting Justin Bieber, or a world without those evening drives with the windows down, radio turned up, listening to Thomas Rhett. I can't.. Can you? So many of our most important memories are tied to a certain song, every lyric holds meaning. To me that is an incredible thing.

Nathan Schmidt: In the Old Historic Nazareth

In the Old Historic Nazareth

Nathan Schmidt

I was in my Psychology class just the other day and the teacher started asking the students about their plans for the future.  Uh oh!  Let the stress come flowing in.  I, like a lot of others, really do not know what I want to do in the future.  He did, however, ask one question that I could answer very easily.  He asked, "do any of you think you might want to live in Nazareth when you get older?"  No, absolutely not!  I do not want to live in Nazareth when I get older!  I want out of this place!  Okay, maybe that's a little harsh.  I do actually like living in Nazareth and it was certainly a good place to grow up.  It really just seems kind of boring, though.  I was driving to Target one day and I thought to myself, "I wanna go do something, where should I go after this."  Suddenly, I realized that there is really nothing to do here.  The very thought of being stuck down to the same place for all my life makes me want to throw up.  I like it here, sure.  But to live here forever?  No thanks!

Send me to Colorado.  They might have dangerous animals over there but at least it's a little more interesting.  Send me to California and I'll put up with the high taxes.  I don't know exactly where I see myself, but I definitely do not think that it will be here in Nazareth.  I want to find a place where I can explore nature or drive into town.  Maybe I'll give horseback riding or rock climbing a whirl.  Maybe I'll take up kayaking or base jumping.  I want to explore, meet incredible people who are doing dangerous and exciting things.  I don't see a whole lot of that in Nazareth.

I do not see the appeal to those who want to stay in Nazareth.  I know some people who want to graduate from college and stay right here in Nazareth.  That seems so strange to me.  I understand that it is comfortable for some people, but I don't feel like I could settle for that.  I do not want to be cooped up in a small town for a long time.  I want to see new things.  I want to do something new, fall down, get hurt, and get back up.  That seems like it would be much more worth it.

I'd like to hear from others as well.  Do any of you plan on staying in Nazareth after high school or college?  If that is the case, why do you feel that way?

Gianna 6: Comfort Zone

       Comfort zones can be deadly. It is in comfort zones where people become too content. There are no boundaries to push and no challenges to overcome in a comfort zone. Some people may be fine with this, and I’d say most people are on instinct. However, if you never step out of your comfort zone, how are you supposed to learn anything new? How are you supposed to experience new things? The idea of staying within my comfort zone is something that I often find myself giving in to. I don't normally make formal resolutions for the new year, but I was actually inspired to hold myself to one this year. I want to break outside of my comfort zone as much as possible for the sake of learning, experience, and growth.

       Over winter break, I went on a cruise. I had been on a cruise last summer, so I had an idea of what to expect, or so I thought. My experience with this cruise was completely different from the previous one, and for one main reason; I stepped outside of my comfort zone. I would say although I'm a pretty friendly person, I don't really go out of my way to make new friends. In many aspects, this has held me back from having the more comfortable social interactions I probably could have. On many cruises, there are “teen clubs” for teens to engage in activities that are more geared towards them. In all honesty, the first time I heard about it, I thought it was going to be completely ridiculous and childish (typical teen attitude). I was completely against going to it, and I felt embarrassed when my younger sister pleaded with me to go with her. I was pretty much forced into going, but I can say now that I am so glad I went.

       As soon as we got there, almost everyone already knew each other, and my inability to spark up a conversation with someone new was completely holding me back from any interaction.  Luckily, some people had introduced themselves to me and invited me to tag along with their group. Throughout that night, I met so many new people. The rest of that night, and for the rest of the cruise there on out, I opened up a great deal. I met a bunch of really awesome people, and I got to make some incredible memories. We got pretty close with one another in such a short amount of time. Once the cruise was over, I shocked myself with the experiences I had. It didn't seem like it had even happened. I completely stepped out of my comfort zone, and as a result, I had an amazing vacation. I still talk to several of the people I had met on the cruise, and those friendships hold a lot of value to me. In a way, they symbolize that reach from my comfort zone.

       It’s something I want to experience over and over again, forever. Therefore, I feel as though I must make this a resolution. I experienced how stepping outside of my comfort zone opened the door for so many more fun experiences. I really hope that I can hold this resolution this year. I want to experience as many new things while I am still young and easily able to.

Gabe 6: Douglas Adams-y Stories

I enjoy writing. I don’t enjoy the amount of work that goes along with writing. Even in a short blog post like this, it takes too much time and mental effort to think of a concept to write about and then to actually commit it to words for me to enjoy it.

I enjoy writing the most when I have no plan or concept or inkling of an idea of what I’m going to write about. It’s sort of like a stream of consciousness, except instead of writing exactly what I’m thinking about at that moment, I try to write a story, incorporating anything that pops into my head while writing. The result is an unexpectedly hilarious story full of twists and turns and surprisingly a semblance of a plot.

It’s very reminiscent of the style of Douglas Adams. If you’re not familiar, he’s an author of science-fiction comedy books like The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (which happens to be of my favorite books of all time, go read it). His work is famous for taking the story in the absolute opposite direction the reader expects, which is exactly what I strive to do in my stream-of-conciousness-esque writings.

Whenever I write like this, I find myself feeling mentally refreshed and de-stressed afterwards. It’s like having a mental garbage truck that drives around and picks up all the trash that piles up over the day and then empties them out onto a paper in the form of a rambling, nonsensical story.

Muskan Week 6 - Promises

The start of this year has brought me to find out more about myself. It’s 9 days into the year and I have found my first major pet peeve. I am not someone who easily gets annoyed by someone else’s actions. It does occasionally happen, but only rarely. If you get to know me then you quickly realize that I’m not someone who shows anger often, annoyance yes, but rarely anger. When I realized that there is one thing that gets me angry at someone, I found my first major pet peeve. I hate when people make promises and then break them or never even intend to keep them. 

The idea of making a promise was created to use it scarcely and only when you wanted to verbally commit yourself to do something for someone. Recently society has changed that, and the words “I promise” are used so loosely that they barely have a meaning. Most people don’t even expect others to keep their promises anymore. A lot of the people surrounding me, that are close to me, have been making promises to me recently, and about 10%, if even that, have been upheld. 

People make promises just to make someone feel better at that moment. Most of these people never intend to keep their promises, they only mean to make them. In some situations, it is understandable why a promise wasn’t upheld, such as an emergency, but in most situations, it’s mainly because the one making the promise has changed their mind. 

This gets me angry because if they didn’t mean to keep their word, then they never should have said “I promise” in the first place. I would rather take the truth and have them tell me that they won’t make the promise because they won’t keep it. I wonder if promises have even a tiny piece of worth to those who make promises just to break them.

Megan - Week 6 - Shiver Me Timbers

When your youngest cousin leads with “pwease,” how can you say no??

I can’t! So, I found myself watching Peter Pan with my little cousins over break this year.

 I marveled at the deep symbolism that flew right over my head when I was younger; it honestly seemed like a whole new movie.

I watched Wendy try to ignore the voices that told her it was time to grow up. I watched her travel through her imagination to a magical place. But she knew that she couldn’t stay; it wasn’t reality. So, she traveled back home and bravely faced her future. 

In many ways, Wendy reminds me of myself.

This year has brought a lot of change, a lot of firsts, and a lot of growing up. Each milestone this year has slipped right by, and now that the year’s over, I’m left wondering how I’ve gotten to this point.

You see, before now, I’ve never wanted to slow down time. I was excited to be 5, but 6 seemed more fun. 15 was great, but 16 would be better. I’ve become acutely aware that someday if I’m lucky, I’ll turn 85. And maybe 16 will seem more fun.

Now, I want special moments to last just a little bit longer. And with that yearning, I’ve come to realize that it’s not up to my discretion. With all of my stubborn pride, I still can’t will the clock to tick slower.

As I watched the golden pirate ship fly back to London, I realized: I’m just as much Hook as I am Wendy.

Whether in the belly of an alligator or the deep corners of my mind, I too fear the sound of a clock ticking away, reminding me that this day, this year, will be but a passing memory.

Hook is the villain, yes, but he’s only a bad guy in Neverland. It is here that Hook comes face to face with Peter Pan: the child-like part of us that doesn’t want to grow up. Peter is constantly at war, dueling, with Hook: the part of us that knows we can’t stay young forever.

And we must understand: while Hook is haunted by the inescapable tick tick ticking of time, he still stands true to the principle that being eternally naive is worse than hearing the clock in your head, every minute of every day.

Maybe I’m giving the pirate more credit than he deserves, but I think that Hook knows we only have so much time on this Earth. And he wants the lost souls of Neverland to hear the ticking of time because as haunting as it is, and it is haunting, it also opens the door to wisdom.

When we know that we can’t slow down the everpresent ticking, maybe we can enjoy every fleeting second for exactly what it is: a passing moment. That we may one day forget.

(I've always loved Peter Pan. When I was four, I would even dress up as Tinkerbelle!)

Hayden Berner 6 "Candles"

Candles. Our first way of lighting our houses, they were put on Christmas trees before light bulbs and they smell really nice, but why do we like them so much?

Candles are huge for our day and age which is ironic considering they have been around forever. I mean there are whole stores such as Bath & Body Works or Yankee Candle that are just dedicated to selling candles to people.


                                                    


Personally I love candles. My favorite are three-wick candles. I could literally smell candles for hours on end without getting tired of it. If I could I would smell them till my nose fell off. I don't really have a favorite scent, if I like it I buy it, which unfortunately leads to a lot of money spent on unnecessary things; however my room smells heavenly all the time!

I currently have 10 candles in my room. All different scents because they all evoke different emotions. If I am sad I light my Mahogany candle, If I am happy I light my Vanilla Bean candle and so on. That is one of the main reasons I love candles so much, they have the ability to make houses into homes. Realtors use candles all the time when they are trying to sell houses! They pick one that smells like cookies before open houses so it seems more inviting.

I think everyone should own at least own one candle. If not to make themselves feel better but for the purely amazing scent filling wherever you place it.
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