My Little Slice of Heaven

Okay, I need to seriously compensate for that very livejournal-esque post a few days ago. As per usual Andrew style, I'm gonna aim to over compensate, and bring this blog back onto more of its intended plane of existence (that's right I said it).

Okay, so, visiting my blog today you are probably asking yourself the same question that plagues so many individuals today: "How was Andrew's day?" Well, since you want to know so badly, I'll tell you.

My day was GOOD. On a scale of goodness (1-10) my day would easily rate an 8. Maybe even an 8 1/2! I know what you're thinking. Andrew, how can one person's day possibly be so good, when such problems as global warming, human trafficking, terrorism, and political and corporate corruption plague our world? The answer is quite simple. I DIDN'T WORRY ABOUT IT. That's right boys and girls. I completely ignored the problems and instead focused on the good stuff. Now, before any of my psychiatrist-readers out there brim over with un restrained merriment, it should be noted that the "good things" I was focusing on may have been a bit more shallower than what would normally be expected from a teenager (wait, what?!).

For example:

My super soakers didn't break because of the cold.
I didn't lose my cellphone......again.
I woke up earlier than 6:20 today, which is good considering my alarm is set for 5:45.
I got to school nice and early.
I got to plan out my scheduling for next year.
I didn't get in trouble for making assertive comments about the intellectual prowess of my teachers.
I was able to talk to my friends without getting harassed by THE MAN.
I almost didn't get yelled at, at all in History AP.
I sat at a different table at lunch, and I didn't have too. It was of my own volition, and I am quite proud of that fact.
Gay innuendo was kept to a minimum.
For the first time all year, I didn't miss my bus when I decided I would rather get a ride home than walk my customary 2 miles home in the 10 degree weather.

As you can see, my day was absolutely golden. In addition to that, my after school activities don't include, for the first time in a while, taking a car ride to somewhere a couple hemispheres away (I've been in Norwalk for the past couple of days for some inexplicable reason).

Of course, as always, it is looking forward to the future that often puts a nice glossy shine on my day, and in this case, it was the anticipation of my February trip to Mississippi that put a subtle smile on my face, and a hope to my step (.....).

Seriously though, I AM looking forward to my February trip to Mississippi which comes in a few weeks. I am traveling down with the New York State United Methodist Church Chapter First Response Disaster Relief Program of National Help and Services from New York State (the NYSUMCCFRDRPNHSNYS), of which I am the only non-methodist member, which I think is fantastic. We are traveling down to help with the reconstruction after Katrina (And from what I've heard, even after a year, there's still A LOT that needs to be done). So yeah, that's my life in a nutshell. Like a walnut, or something. Maybe a pistachio. I think that's a nut. I'm not sure if they have shells though. Maybe just husks.



And that's my post for today.

How I Handle Emotions

The way I handle my emotions has been called into question lately, but not by myself. I happen to mildly annoyed at the person who brought up these questions, as I'm not one who is very inclined to, at any given moment, accurately explain, using human words, how I feel about the finer aspects of the human psyche. I like to consider myself 'sorta' good with words; I can be eloquent when I need to be, but find my comfort level to be most concentrated in the areas of lighter banter. I personally feel very strongly that a balance must be found in living with your emotions. Now, I've tried a few times to explain this as best as I could (with such things as stress, hormones, and my usual idiotic nature often getting in the way). Despite this fact (I suppose because I could not explain myself as equally well as the other), I was told that I was afraid of my emotions. Now, here, on my blog (which I know I haven't updated in a while...), I'd like to make my stance on handling me emotions very clear. Allow me to explain....Ahem....

I AM NOT AFRAID TO DISCUSS MY EMOTIONS


Okay? Now, I know that being a teenager, a slew of emotions the size of Niagra Falls will be running through me at any one time. I will admit that I relish in avoiding many of the problems commonly associated with "teenage" feelings. I'm smart enough to know that this is point of my life where I will be thinking with the least amount of clarity, by ability to judge and analyze clouded by the nearly impenetrable cloud of hormone induced illogicalness. I have a made it a point to avoid getting into drama in my life, and am proud of myself. I'll even admit that I may, at times, sound pretentious, explaining why I dislike talking about emotions. The person I'm referring to specifically in this blog is probably right about many of the things we talked about. But, I'd just like to make it clear that...


I AM NOT AFRAID TO DISCUSS MY EMOTIONS


It is getting hard now to type, the urge that overcame me to write up this blog slowly fading, replaced by the empty feeling that it's more effort than its worth, or that I'm not explaining my stance well enough to justify saying anything at all. But I'm trying to finish up at least this paragraph so I can post it, because I feel like I need to get this posted.

I can't explain everything I'm feeling all the time. I know its unreasonable for me to assume that's what you meant, but I just wanted to say it. And I know that I don't dive in "head first" into explaining myself every time. But I do talk about my emotions, and I like to think that I'm good enough to be able to convey what I'm feeling. Therefore, I understand what you're talking about, but I don't think that you have the right to make me question my ability to explain and understand my own emotions. Like a wild plains buffalo calf, my emotions can be brought down, if they need to be (that was the lighthearted, joke analogy BTW).

Last night I stayed over a good friend of mine's house. I stayed up late into the night with him and his older sister watching Season One of the O.C. (Don't you dare laugh, I make up for the loss of coolness by watching Battlestar Galactica.....). We talked about the way members of the opposite sex thought and reasoned, and discussed specifically how both girls and boys could be aliens from another planet, given our ability to understand them. It was to my knowledge that, as members of the primate family, we, as creatures, would be more advanced in the areas of the comprehension of social organization, and its imperative importance in the way humans, as a developing society operate within, and sometimes, without the bounds of basic human nature, the laws of the universe, and the singular spirit that unites us all. However, it can't be argued that, at times, humans resemble fishes in terms of us being able to explain our feelings.

And that's my post for today.