One of the things I think about when it comes to changes in public schools is the athletics. I played basketball the entire four years that I was in high school. During that time I was totally dedicated and committed to basketball. So much so, that I didn’t play any other sports. Now if I could go back in time, I would have played as many sports as I possibly could. However, we all know that hindsight vision is 20/20. Anyway, during my senior and final year of being on the team, it was announced that starting the next school year all students playing basketball had to run cross country also. Back then running up and down a basketball court was fine by me, but the thought of running 3.1 miles on a daily basis, along with cross country track meets didn’t sit too well with me. This was one of the instances where I felt like I graduated from school at the right time. I felt bad for all the returning basketball players who were coming back the following year, but I felt glad it wasn’t me having to do it. 

Everyone knows that students having school ID cards are a must. When I was attending school, we carried our ID cards in our wallets or pockets. The girls carried their identification cards in their purses. These kids now have to wear their IDs around their necks at all times. If they forget their ID at home or happen to misplace it, they be written up and have to do detention. School uniforms are another thing that didn’t exist when I was in school. We were allowed to wear whatever we wanted as long as there wasn’t any vulgar or inappropriate slang or slogans on our clothing. Nowadays, most schools require school uniforms, with the students having to tuck their shirts in. When I was in school, a tucked shirt wasn’t required at all. Today is the day of the annual rodeo parade in the town where I live. When I was in school, we were out of school the entire day of the parade. The students now have to go to school on the day of the parade. However, they do get dismissed early at 1:00 pm which is two hours ahead of the time they normally get out. Hearing this made my younger cousin wish even more that he went to school during the time I did.

We all know that time brings about a change in all things. I know that the policies and rules in school systems vary from state to state. What’s done is certain places can obviously be different in others. I feel very lucky and fortunate to have went to school during the time that I did. Although I find a lot of the changes to the public school system somewhat drastic, I understand that the main goal is to get students ready to become decent men and women in society. The academics have gotten much harder than they were when I attended school, but that is necessary to help the students of today reach that next level. Thanks for reading.

One young academically excellent person went to apply for a managerial position in a big company.

He passed the first interview; the director did the last interview, made the last decision.

The director discovered from the CV that the youth’s academic achievements were excellent all the way, from the secondary school until the postgraduate research, Never had a year when he did not score.

The director asked,

“Did you obtain any scholarships in school?”

the youth answered “none”.

The director asked,

“Was it your father who paid for your school fees?”

The youth answered,

“My father passed away when I was one year old, it was my mother who paid for my school fees.

The director asked,

” Where did your mother work?”

The youth answered,

“My mother worked as clothes cleaner.

The director requested the youth to show his hands.

The youth showed a pair of hands that were smooth and perfect.

The director asked,

”Have you ever helped your mother wash the clothes before?”

The youth answered,

“Never, my mother always wanted me to study and read more books.

Furthermore, my mother can wash clothes faster than me.

The director said,

“I have a request. When you go back today, go and clean your mother’s hands, and then see me tomorrow morning.*

The youth felt that his chance of landing the job was high. When he went back, he happily requested his mother to let him clean her hands. His mother felt strange, happy but with mixed feelings, she showed her hands to the kid.

The youth cleaned his mother’s hands slowly. His tear fell as he did that. It was the first time he noticed that his mother’s hands were so wrinkled, and there were so many bruises in her hands. Some bruises were so painful that his mother shivered when they were cleaned with water.

This was the first time the youth realized that it was this pair of hands that washed the clothes everyday to enable him to pay the school fee. The bruises in the mother’s hands were the price that the mother had to pay for his graduation, academic excellence and his future.

After finishing the cleaning of his mother’s hands, the youth quietly washed all the remaining clothes for his mother.

That night, mother and son talked for a very long time.

Next morning, the youth went to the director’s office.

The Director noticed the tears in the youth’s eyes, asked:

“Can you tell me what have you done and learned yesterday in your house?”

The youth answered,

” I cleaned my mother’s hand, and also finished cleaning all the remaining clothes’

The Director asked,

“Please tell me your feelings.”

The youth said,

Number 1,

I know now what appreciation is. Without my mother, there would not the successful me today.

Number 2,

by working together and helping my mother, only I now realize how difficult and tough it is to get something done.

Number 3,

I have come to appreciate the importance and value of family relationship.

The director said,

” This is what I am looking for to be my manager. I want to recruit a person who can appreciate the help of others, a person who knows the sufferings of others to get things done, and a person who would not put money as his only goal in life. You are hired.

Later on, this young person worked very hard, and received the respect of his subordinates. Every employee worked diligently and as a team. The company’s performance improved tremendously.

A child, who has been protected and habitually given whatever he wanted, would develop “entitlement mentality” and would always put himself first. He would be ignorant of his parent’s efforts.

When he starts work, he assumes that every person must listen to him, and when he becomes a manager, he would never know the sufferings of his employees and would always blame others.

For this kind of people, who may be good academically, may be successful for a while, but eventually would not feel sense of achievement.

He will grumble and be full of hatred and fight for more. If we are this kind of protective parents, are we really showing love or are we destroying the kid instead?*

You can let your kid live in a big house, give him a Driver & Car for going around, Eat a Good Meal, learn Piano, Watch a Big Screen TV. But when you are Cutting Grass, please let them experience it. After a Meal, let them Wash their Plates and Bowls together with their Brothers and Sisters. Tell them to Travel in Public Bus, It is not because you do not have Money for Car or to Hire a Maid, but it is because you want to Love them in a right way. You want them to understand, no matter how rich their parents are, one day their hair will Grow Grey, same as the Mother of that young person. The most important thing is your kid learns how to appreciate the effort and experience the difficulty and learns the ability to work with others to get things done.

You would have forwarded many mails to many and many of them would have back mailed you too…but try and forward this story to as many as possible…this may change somebody’s fate…

I’ve noticed that the childrens programming I had as a kid, is not what is on television now. I mean, yes, I know that programming changes, shows get cancelled and so on, but seriously, what happened to the quality of television now a days? I feel that it isn’t even close to as good as it used to be.

I have also realized that drama follows people through life. It doesn’t end once high school is over, like everyone says… It hit me a while ago in college, some people never grow up, no matter how old they may be. Drama will always be there; Its all about how you squash it from escalating. If you feed into it, of course it will continue; However, if you show people that you could really care less about the crap they are about to start with you, they will usually move on to some other soul and see if they can be beat down. I have noticed that it is also similar to how the real world works. The real world hands you challenges and it is a test to see how you deal. I myself, can admit, I am not always the strongest when it comes to challenges, and I have discovered how much I dislike change in my routine and in how things work; However, changes in life are supposed to happen. Why? I dont think anyone will know that one.

I am also guilty of over thinking things and being very analytical in situations. Things that I shouldnt worry about, I do worry about, and things I should worry about, I worry about times ten. Haha. I have also discovered that I am unable to stand around in work situations. I must be given something to do at all times because standing around makes me feel lazy; even when all work is completed and there is time left over. I feel like I need to clean something or organize something, or refill empty containers. People ask me if I have anxiety, and honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if I was diagnosed with it eventually. I worry about what everyone thinks of me, my work ethic and quality of my work, and staying on people’s good sides.

I learned that having two college degrees does not mean you’ll get a job right away. In fact, I still haven’t gotten a job for either degree, although writing does not require being hired anywhere, so that is the beauty of that. I have enjoyed it my entire life since I learned how to write, and used to fill up numerous composition books with stories and poetry as a kid. So I guess I have always been a writer. I’ve always had a career in that. However, its not paying the bills of course, and college loans are pricy. I’ve been paying for those with two unrelated jobs, as well as cell phone and credit card bills, and being near my 26th birthday, life is going to get slightly more challenging with losing insurance and having to get my own, as well as making the car payments for my first car. Yes its true, I did not get my license till I was 22 (permit at age 20) because I was afraid of driving until that point. But I enjoy it very much now that I’ve had a license for 4 years, because its nice to not have to ask people to give you a ride, and once you gain confidence and lose fear of accidents and traffic around you in general, its not so bad. Its actually quite amazing.

Lucky for me, my love life has at least made sense finally. I have someone who truly values me for how hard I work, what I put forth to the relationship, and the fact that I have found the ability to keep trucking even when times are hard on me. A lot of past relationships did not go so well. I was given up on, cheated on, and told that I was stupid and a failure. All things that made me actually start to believe I’d never have anything for a second there. Yes, life has been a challenge for me. Nothing has come easily, but if I couldn’t make it through, I wouldn’t be here. I’d either not exist, or would have surely ended myself by now. Something keeps me trying harder and searching for something that seems so far away, yet it feels like its nearby and I just can’t locate it at the same time.

Who knows really? I’m just glad I am making it in the economy we have now. For example, its a lot harder to survive when you are making minimum at one job, and just over it at the other, and gas prices are $3.99 a gallon. I remember when I was a kid, they were under $1.00 a gallon! Makes it very hard when your car needs gas and you are paying bills and working hard for any money you can get. I just always want more, and perhaps sometimes, I need to learn when to quit wanting more and relax for a bit. I feel trapped in my constant worry and concern about doing things on time and right and impressing others that I don’t make enough time to do anything for me. Whenever I do, its very miniscule time off. I always feel like I need to be working and that I am wrong for taking time off because that is money I could make, however at the same time, I know everyone needs a break because without breaks, life gets very stressful and any break I do get is near the end of the week and I know that I need that for a few different reasons: I’m never home anymore, my boyfriend is home on weekends from his job so thats the only time I can see him (not to mention its always amazing to see him becaus of how long we spend being apart), and my friends get time with me too. I need the time I get little of. Without it, I’d go crazy.

With this said, I bid all adeu; more to come as I get older. Almost 26 now, I have to say here’s to another 26 prosperous, educational, happy, hopefully children filled, married, loving, hard working, respected, talented, years.

1. Read something new every day. Even if it is just a few pages of a book that ultimately takes months to finish, you will get into the habit of continuously learning and therefore continuously improving. Try to read multiple genres for maximum impact. Reading a lot also improves your spelling and, depending on the standard of what you read, writing skills.

2. Go outside at least once a day. Spend at least a few minutes walking in the fresh air. This is a great habit for your mental health—we evolved to live outside, and studies have shown that not seeing green for too long slows down mental functions.

3. Compliment someone at least once every day. In the long run this will make you feel good about yourself as well, boost your self-esteem, and make those around you happier and like you more. For the really hard-core, compliment someone you dislike. You can do this by complimenting their actions rather than their personality. Even the most distasteful person will do good things evey once in a while. After all, even a broken clock is right twice a day.

4. Help someone at least once every day without asking for or expecting anything in return. Even if it is simply tidying up the kitchen before your parents get home, giving someone directions, or helping your little brother learn how to tie his shoes. You will become less lazy in the long run, which makes you more likely to earn more money when you are older. This also will make those around you happier and appreciate you more.

5. Grow something. It is very well to see on television or read in books about how things grow, but until you actually do it, there will be much that you cannot appreciate. It is just like riding a bike—some things need to be done to understand them, they cannot be learnt by hearing about them. Most of the food you eat was grown by someone, and by growing your own you are slightly better able to understand that.

6. Look after an animal. Not a completely domesticated one, but one with some wild instincts left. Studies have shown that spending time with animals makes people happier, and this will also help you appreciate the needs of animals better.

7. Travel somewhere new, even if it is just the next city. When you get there, do not stick to the places that you already have in your own city (McDonalds etc.) but take advantage of the new things that this place offers. There are too many people who go to foreign countries and benefit nothing real from them because they are too nervous to try new things.

8. Learn some of another language. This will help you understand English better, believe it or not. Knowing about sentence structure and declensions is very difficult to see in your own first language, but if you learn another you can compare them easily. If you learn enough, this will also help you understand how just by speaking a different language can affect the way people view the world.

9. Learn about your favourite things. Spend half an hour online learning all sorts of trivia about your favourite animal, food, place, etc. If you do this once a week, you will gain a huge amount of knowledge. This also makes it easier for you to talk to people, as most become very interested in random trivia that you can casually use in conversation.

10. Become scientifically literate. This means not only that you know how to read charts and graphs, but also that you can see logical flaws in arguments like “if I play my favourite numbers then I’m certain to win the lottery!” This is your biggest asset in decision making when you are older, and you can filter the majority of information from the media through this ability. You will realise that a lot of what you hear as ‘fact’ on television has very shaky foundations.

There are many reasons that girls do not like other girls.  Are any of those reasons valid?  Most of the time — no. Usually when a girl asks a question of this nature. The other girls do not know her personally. They have dreamed up some illusion of who they picture her to be and have judged her because of their own illusion.

Asking why, almost never makes us feel better.  The answer still leaves an emptiness inside of us. The best question to ask in times like these is “What is good or special about me?”  or “What do I like about me?” 

Take the time to list these answers on paper.  I recommend putting these answers up on your wall, mirror, or any place that you will see it daily.  Put it in your locker at school.  It may sound too simplistic or corny, but seeing the words written about you on a regular basis is a big help for your self-esteem.  

The better you feel about yourself, the better others will feel about you.  This may not make every girl your new BFF, but it can help raise you to a level where it will not matter so much how other girls perceive you.  You simply will shift your focus from bad treatment and funny looks to looking at the best qualities in yourself.  

Once you find and focus on the good qualities that you already have, you will begin to ignore and not notice the girls who have “their own problems” with you.  Notice that I said those problems are theirs, not yours.  

Here’s to better more like-able days ahead.  More Love.

-Plain Gerlaine

To get more Plain Advice from Gerlaine send an email to plaingerlaine@gmail.com.  All questions will be anonimized and answered on this platform.  To become a member of this platform you must fill in the sign up from here.

What is the best holiday celebrated anywhere, anytime, ever?

If you answered anything besides Halloween, I’m going to have to ask you to leave. It’s nothing personal, but there are finer subtleties here than a mind undedicated to the pursuit of an excellent Halloween experience can grasp. There are other Holidays for you:

Image via Wikipedia

Enjoy staying indoors, hanging out with relatives, and having nothing to do with the free distribution of candy to strangers; if that happens to be your thing.

Image via Wikipedia

Now kindly GTFO.

For those who remain, let’s talk about one way to enjoy, indefinitely, the greatest holiday ever conceived. 

Improve Your Neighbourhood: Grab Some Candy

A seemingly less desirable alternative to Trick or Treating on Halloween is to become the facilitator of the next generation’s sugar orgy. Seemingly, because it does not involve circling neighbourhoods and beating down the doors to households:

Image via Wikipedia

Pictured: The threat of violence.

But, just hold on, because this could be your moment. Have you ever been to this house?

Image via Wikipedia

I know you have. I’m sorry.

Or have you ever ventured out, brisk and bristling, into the night, only to return with nothing but “fun” sized candy, and a lingering sense of loss? Of course you have. This could be your chance to put an end to that your neighbourhood; to be the hero that you always wanted, but never found.

You know what must be done.

Your fist step as an adult enjoying Halloween can be a great one. Remember, even the people who hand out boxes of prunes and freeze dried squash used to be children. It’s up to you to build the Halloween that kids are going love, and you can do that by staying true to your inner child.

   So im a average 22 year old women with alot on my mind i’ve recently sat down and had a chat with my self about why i haven’t been in love and how my relationships ended starting from the first guy I’ve ever dated to the last guy i was extremely attracted to here’s how it happened..

 Mike-2007 my friend had liked him first, i didn’t even really look at him in that way until he asked me out at a park, it was cute but first and foremost i had to tell my friend so i pulled her aside and told her he asked me out and that ill say no if she wants me to, she said very clearly that we would meke a great couple so i told him i would date him the next Monday at school no one was talking to me <yea what great friends i have> so i just hung out with mike we was good together had alot of fun i even liked his family, but when he found out i was a virgin his soul porpoise in life was to get in my panties from then on every day he would ask if i was ready an to be honest being ready was not the issue here because i’ve always been a “sexual person” hahaha an i wasn’t saving my self or anything he just didn’t turn me on he tried but i wasn’t really feeling, then this jacka** broke up with me in a text message an said our relationship was “one sided” but hey maybe he was right i really just wasn’t all there…

JON-2009 he walked in to my hotel to pay on his fine because him and a few friends destroyed a room very classy now wonder this kid took my virginity, he asked for my number and then called me< right in-front of me> that was cute the same night he picked me up from work and took me home we talked all night i liked him,and the next day he took me on a date we walked in the park and eat cheese cracker’s in the back of his truck so now i really like him, I’m not a difficult person to please talked for about a month then he asked if he could come over one morning and “sleep in my bed” yea i knew what he wanted so i just went with it, my first time was very funny well to me anyway i just laughed all the way through {how messed up is that?} but i got better with time hahaha. It was my first real relationship and i’ve always thought honesty and trust was important in a relationship i guess this guy thought lying and drugs was the most important. One night after he left my house at 3 in the morning i tried to get some sleep that was interrupted by a phone call at 5am from the police asking me if i knew Jon and if we was drinking at my house tonight, “ummm no?!?!” i was 18 an couldn’t get alcohol at that time the police guy went on to say that jon flipped his truck so i was extremely worried and wanted to know what happened the cop said he was fine an sent him on his way later i asked him if he was drinking or high or something of course he said NO an that he was just trying to get home an he was sleep after the movie we watched, 2 weeks later he tells calls me acting weird an being really stupid on the phone so i was like what is your deal this peice of crap was taking ACID, its over im not into drug users an stuff a real turn off……

Danny-2011 very nice guy we only known each other for like a week before we hooked up it was just one of those things that when you look at someone it makes you all warm inside the sex wasn’t bad at all i enjoyed myself and i made sure he enjoyed {myself} as well hahah but the time came when he had to leave for basic training i was looking forward to his return because i missed being held, and the perks of being in a relationship, ok I’am going to stop right there, because to be honest we wasn’t really in a relationship but what the really defines a relationship, spending time{yea we did that} go on dates {of course we did that to} holding hands, only being with each other, sending cute messages every morning, noon and, night that sounds alot like a freaking relationship, but still we was just friends i’m not angry with Danny at all cause i put myself in this type of situation but i was hurt because one moment we had it all then the next i find my self lonely and asking why i haven’t heard from this guy in four months yes he was in basic but h was also on face-book every day posting about basic and how much they was doing an posting pictures, the only thing i could think about was how could someone just stop talking with out a warning sign you know like the signs any relationship has when things aren’t working out but hey im grown ill get over it soon and we wasn’t really in a relationship…

Thomas-2011 i’ve always thought he was attractive but i was in a “relationship” with Danny when i met Thomas, but even if i wasn’t in a relationship or {whatever it was} i probably wouldn’t have told this guy how cute he is to me, anyway i screwed up by telling a so called friend that i thought he was cute cause after a few weeks she “tried” to have sex with him ~WOW  what a friend~ thats fine cause he’s not my man so she decided to tell me all about the experience an how it wasn’t good and he had a small penis but like every other situation there’s always two sides to every story so <i asked him lol> he told me it wasn’t a big deal she was all over him that night but he couldn’t get it up so he TIPPED IT hahaha <alright enough of that back to why im attracted to this guy……………….yea i truly don’t know there’s just something about him an when im drunk the stuff hits the fan and what ever i’ve been wanting to do, i do because i feel like it, its so true that alcohol brings out the real you, an the real me is a very aggressive and hands on, i decided at the beginning of that night that i was gonna end my four month drought with Thomas hahahah ….At first i was just feeling out the reaction he would give if i touched him and then dance with him and finally kissed him he seemd to be willing so at the end of the night i just hopped over the seat and did exactly what i wanted with him that so called friend i mentioned earlier lied about his penis hahaha…

   And right now at this moment im just sitting here trying to figure out where i went wrong and why i’m alone but you know what i wouldnt change a thing……..

Reality sets in early for some, they get terrible injuries that put them out of commission, but then their lessons are learned. With other people though, they never quite learn.

For some people, risking life and limb is part of the thrill.

Let me tell you though, the “play now pay later” attitude is not the smartest attitude to have.

I can tell you that, and I am only 25.

Then in 2005, I noticed changes in who was wearing glasses in commercials and in movies. Glasses were being worn by famous actors, actresses,singers, and models. Wow what a change. Even my 11 year old niece’s friend who had 20/20 vision wanted glasses. I thought to myself,” are you nuts?” She went on and on about how cool they were and asked to try on my glasses. I let her for a quick,hot  second and then warned her to not try on glasses when she didn’t need any. 

She said glasses were so cool and as I started to watch TV and movies, she was right. More and more young actresses were using glasses for fashion sense as well as to appearing mysterious. From over 20 years now from 1985-2005, geeks and nerds are seen in a much different way thanks to millionaires Bill Gates, and other celebrities like Tara Reid in the picture below.

I myself am glad to be a nerd. I am glad I was a studious bookworm my whole life. Trying to be something I wasn’t was such a struggle and in my late 30’s now I hope to pass on to my kids to just be themselves. It comes naturally. When you know who you are it’s so much easier to have fun, make friends, and tell who aren’t your friends. So yes, I wear glasses and proud of it. 

The evening was organised jointly by her school, an “events promoter” and the local university, and was staged ostensibly to provide an alcohol-free opportunity for young people to mimic their older siblings in safety. We all know however that the drinks company that was in on the action (providing free soft drinks that a £10 ticket secured) was just spending a small amount of cash to prime the youngsters and get them ready for milking in four year’s time when they turn 18.

So this grumpy and appropriately cynical old codger was enlisted to provide transport, and my first dilemma was Betsy-Lou’s outfit. I’ll call her Betsy-Lou to protect her identity and if she ever discovers what I’ve chosen for her I’ll be swiftly annihilated.

For about six weeks before the event in question I was vaguely aware of shops being visited in every corner of the city with my money. Phone conversations about hair, nails, dresses, make-up and whatever else were cut short each time I entered the room, and I set about preparing my “No daughter of mine is going out dressed like that” speech.

The night arrived. Betsy-Lou presented herself to be transported to Mindy-May’s house (Mindy-May won’t like her pseudonym either) from where Mindy-May’s father would deliver them both to the party, or whatever such things are called now. I was dumbfounded when I saw her, a vision of innocent, youthful loveliness in a pair of not-too-tight jeans and a not-too-tight sweater with her hair in a neat pony-tail. No make-up. Perhaps I had been worrying over nothing. I said nothing.

Half an hour later I returned from Mindy-May’s house and commented to my wife, “Well at least Betsy-Lou’s outfit wasn’t as bad as I had feared”.

She looked at me in disbelief and said with a knowing smirk on her face, “What do you think was in that enormous handbag she was carrying, and why do you think she needed to be at Mindy-May’s house for 3 hours before the party?”

The bits of a large half-completed jigsaw began to fall into place in my bewildered brain and a picture began to emerge. Not only had Betsy-Lou pulled the wool over my eyes, but it also started to dawn on me that her older sister had been playing me with similar ruses for years.

I was thrown off balance and for the next three hours swung between anger and worry. At 11 o’clock I was at the head of a queue of anxious parents each waiting to collect their own conniving little Betsy-Lou.

On the stroke of 11 the doors opened letting loose a squad of small, unsophisticated little school boys along with a gaggle of very tall, scantily clad, wobbly young “ladies”. I was baffled. The girls were all most unsteady on their feet, all tall, willowy young things who looked about 19 years old, and my blood began to boil. I had been assured that this event was only for 14 year olds, with no alcohol, and here was a squadron of inebriated hussies coming out with my Betsy-Lou.

While I scanned the disorderly, boisterous crowd for signs of my little girl I mentally composed several strongly worded letters for the school, newspaper, member of parliament etc.

And soon, wobbling along the street was what I eventually recognised as my little girl. Somehow she had grown taller than me, and she was giggling uncontrollably. She and Mindy-May were holding onto each other in an attempt to remain upright, and just as I opened my mouth to begin I realised what was going on.

All these 14 year old girls were staggering and wobbling and falling down not from having imbibed copious amounts of alcohol, but because this was the first occasion they had been out walking in 6 inch stilettos. That, along with the clothes, hair, make-up and the lateness of the hour, made them look like tall, leggy, sophisticated, drunken 19 year old students, while the boys, their classmates, were left to look like … well, 14 year old school boys.