I've got a secret. Can you keep it?

#1: Narration
#2: Analysis
#3: Definition
#4: Proposal (Argument)
#5: Description
#6: Compare/Contrast

Shocking, I know.

That Little Green Monster Called "Jealousy"

Tell me you haven't ever been jealous. Tell me that to my face, and I will give you a strange, condemning look.

#1: The last time I was truly, genuinely jealous, was March 29th, 2011, when Concert Choir results were posted at 2:20 p.m. in the D-wing. (Are we surprised that this is about music? Not really.) Most, if not all, of my best friends had made it into our school's top choir, except me. I remember snapping at my friend during rehearsal about her making Concert, and me not. Nothing had caused this sudden outburst. Nothing, except the ferocious monster taking over my being: jealousy.

#2: Jealousy is not an arbitrary emotion. It takes thought and a considerable amount of feeling for the emotion to engulf your entire system. Usually, you feel a strange feeling in the pit of your stomach when your think of an accomplishment someone you know has made: straight A's, a lead in a musical, acceptance into a prestigous college, dating the most popular boy/girl in the school. Semblance of happiness does not work in these situations. The feeling that you might be trying to hide that is in your stomach starts spreading throughout your major body parts: your head, your heart. You feel that you should be given the same accomplishments that your friend has. You are just as good as your friend; you are better than your friend. Jealousy is not only a potent emotion, it's a disease.  

#3: Jealousy is a mental uneasiness felt when a person feels resentment against a rival (or more commonly, a friend) who has succeeded or accomplished something. It can either be felt in a miniscule way, or spread throughout a person's body until it is no longer manageable. Jealousy can be found in both sexes, in any age, and at any location. Jealousy can also lead to other mental disabilities, such as depression.


#4: I say that jealousy is a good thing in life. It creates healthy competition between family, friends, and enemies. Jealousy should not only be accepted: it should be encouraged. Without jealousy, who knows if Bill Gates and (now deceased, rest his technologically gifted soul,) Steve Jobs would have competed so viciously to create the latest and most convenient devices? Jealousy leads to success. I say that schools teach students about the causes and effects of jealousy in standard 10th grade health classes, and also inform students of how jealousy has played a fundamental part in America's history and success. Jealousy leads to competition. Competition leads to a victor. A victor is successful. A successful person has jealous enemies. The cycle not only repeats, but benefits our culture.

#5: She snaps. Just like that. She had been containing the beast inside herself for too long. It had been pounding to be released for ages, first invading her mind, wrongly telling her to yell and scream, to cry, to say, "this isn't fair! I deserve him. He was mine first!" It then swept to her heart, demanding that she have him. There is no one out there for her like he is. They are meant to be together. The girl foolishly goes along with the beast. She strides over to him and his new "friend," whose hands are entwined. They are looking into each others eyes, clearly in the first stages of puppy-love. She breaks through their grasp. And she snaps. Just like that.

#6: There is an obvious difference between being jealous of someone and being genuinely happy for someone. They can be seen as obvious opposites. But the difference between being jealous of someone and just plain hating someone have a finer line separating them. In order to be jealous, you have to actually want someone's accomplishments for yourself. If you hate someone, you just wish for all the worst to happen to your enemy. One involves wanting the best (for yourself,) and one involves wanting the worst (for your enemy.) Either one requires negative thoughts. But next time you say that you "hate" someone, make sure that it's not actually jealousy.

There My Heart Forever Lies

Once, in the highlands, the highlands of Scotland...


It only takes one show. 60 high schoolers. 4 directors. 1 group of techies. 1 pit crew. This is what creates magic. Through the exhilaration everyone feels about making a show; through two months of three hour rehearsals; through two months of angsty three hour rehearsals; through 6 hour tech rehearsals; through two weekends of pure bliss from performing; through traditions on traditions, on more traditions: this is what gets me through the day. It's mind-blowing how close you can get to a cast in such little time. We bond on so many different levels. I've made so many amazing friends from this privilege I've been given. The feeling I have when I'm around these people is a feeling that I wish everyone could experience at least once.


Let me just explain how my theatre friends make me feel. As you can probably guess, these fantastic voices are, for the vast majority, in our breathtaking Concert Choir. But sadly, I didn't make it. Now, I won't go on a rant of sadness on that topic, but this has a point. My best friends are in Concert. There is a separation in these choirs, no matter how much fluff you might want to add to us (still very talented) girls that are in the lovely Bel Canto. However, when I step into rehearsal and see all my friends that are in Concert, I feel no separation. I am one with these people. We work together as one voice, to bring as much musicality and emotion into our work as we possibly can. There is no separation in theatre (for me) as there is in choir. 

Our school has so much talent, if you haven't already realized that (how could you not realize that?). I'm not just talking about our choral or musical theatre department: I'm talking about our orchestra, that makes my heart melt every time I hear it; I'm talking about our band, that honestly puts countless hours into their work that I'm sure none of us have ever endured; I'm talking about our tech department, that spends hours working on curtains, lights, sets, props, costumes, and anything else you can think of that doesn't get direct recognition. These people are bring their talents together to make art magic. 


I don't think I can properly explain the comfort I feel the millisecond I walk into the D-wing at our school. There's just something about the ambiance there that makes me feel at home. Maybe it's because it's the art wing: that would be the most obvious reason. But, I feel like it might be deeper than that. The D-wing is where I found myself again. I realized who I am, what my passions are, what kind of people I want to surround myself with. I feel sheltered when I'm in any other part of the school, like I have to pretend to be something else in order to be liked. In D-wing, I let all my guards down, and spend time with the people I care most about. The people there accept me, and I accept them. There isn't much more you could hope for than acceptance. If you're looking for it, just walk through that part of the school. I can almost guarantee that you will find it.


As you can probably see, I'm in a very sentimental mood right now. I've had the time of my life, these past few months. I don't think I could have asked for a better cast to spend those months with. Even though at the beginning of the show I had my hesitations and grudges with some people, I can honestly tell you that I left the cast party last night this morning loving every single person. 


This is called Post-Show-Depression. And it's extremely depressing. Obviously.


(Oh, by the way, I used the huge letters at the beginning of my paragraphs to make it look like a fairy tale story. I've been living in a fairy tale world, these past few months.)

Slang, Yo.

Sup, ya'll? I heard this story from my friend yesterday about this huge tool of a "boyfriend" that cheated on his girlfriend with a slut. Grody. What a douche! It makes me really angry to hear about such jacked up relationships. That boy is so donskies.
(Btdubs, this story is supes not real. I totes just made it up, my duis. DUECES.)


Okay, so maybe that's just the way we talk in P-town, but it's slang nonetheless. I can guarantee that any teenager/young adult/maybe adult? has heard at least one of these words.


To be honest, I have no idea where 99% of these words came from. But if I could hypothesize, I would assume from either a) rappers or b) Jersey Shore.


"Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn," spoken by Rhett in Gone With The Wind. I have maybe said this phrase 100 times in the past week with my friend Julia. She actually told me to hurt her if she ever tries to say it again. CONNECTION TO EVERYDAY MEDIA: Plankton says it on Spongebob. "Well, that certainly was an interesting series of words that just tumbled out past your teeth and lips, but frankly, my dear sponge, I don't give a barnacle." (Spongebob's Last Stand, for you uneducated people of Bikini Bottom.) 


My friends and I always talk about what the significance of using swear-words in everyday language (don't be fooled, we swear a TON regardless of meaning.) Does, "you scared the shit out of me" even make sense? Not really. "What the hell/fuck are you doing?" I DON'T GET THE LITERAL MEANING OF THAT SENTENCE. I feel like people just throw in swear-words in their sentences to enhance their emotions. Swearing makes you feel empowered (at least for me). Swearing is awesome. Try it! 


PEACE, LOVE, & HAPPINESS!
Tootles. 
* all of the bolded words are slang words that I think we use in our language. 

To Anyone Who Read My Last Post

Don't do it.
Do not eat an Almond Joy.
It is the epitome of death by chocolate/coconut/fat/processed shit.
I just ate 8 Almond Joys.
I feel absolutely miserable.
DIE, ALMOND JOYS, DIE.

You Put The Lime In The Coconut... And Then You Eat it..

Hi.
I like coconut.
A lot.

If you give me that, I'll like you a lot.

I don't know what it is about coconut, but I've become obsessed. Last year, I discovered my addiction to Chewy bars was because there was coconut in it. I literally ate 10 Chewy bars in one day. But then I finally had a Chewy bar intervention, and made my mother stop buying them.

Then I met Almond Joys.*

My mother had boughten a huge pack of them to give to children (what child actually liked Almond Joys?) as little gifts** for when they came over for the Indian festival, Navaraatri. They were just sitting on the dining room table. I was having a chocolate craving, and decided to eat an Almond Joy, because I figured that I wouldn't like it, and would therefore only eat one peace of candy.

Wrong. 

I ate 13***.

UM.

Now I can't stop eating them. People are literally giving me their Almond Joys from Halloween, and I am in coconut heaven.

I'm not exactly sure what it is about coconut that I love so much. IT'S JUST SO GOOD. It's sugary, but not too sugary, and has a texture that is heaven, and is just so ?&$^!@# **** GOOD.

And there are nuts. Nuts are good. Nuts are in Almond Joys. Therefore, Almond Joys are good. (This is not a logical fallacy. This is TRUTH.) 

I don't understand why everybody seems to hate Almond Joys. What did chocolate mixed with coconut mixed with almonds ever do to you, other than try to taste delicious? But whatever, more of them for me. 

So, if you like me (or even if you don't), and you want to get rid of your Almond Joys, GIVE ME THEM. 

I <3 COCONUT.*****

* Almond Joys have coconut in them, if it wasn't already inferred.

** There were more than just Almond Joys as choices for candy. My mother isn't that oblivious to what children actually enjoy.

*** Ok, so, this entire post probably seems hypocritical to you if you read my mock proposal essay. BUT THIS IS MY POINT. If there was no candy, I wouldn't be addicted to Almond Joys, and I wouldn't have pounds of overly processed coconut (fat) mixed with trans fat (yay, more fat) in my body! AH.

**** There's a lot of words that could fit into those 7 symbols. It's the F word. 

***** Just thought I'd let you know that I have said the word "coconut" 8 times. (Not including this sentence.)