I HAVE NO FRIENDS!!!!

Today Ms. F informed us we were not aloud to sit in the band hallway to eat lunch anymore because it was getting littered and messy and people were just plain not taking care of it and abusing their priveleges. Now aside from the fact that I know me and many other kids would go out of their way to pick up trash in the hallway BECAUSE of the fact that we knew it was a privelege I was upset by this. This is where me and "my group" of friends would go to get away from the loud roaring noises and crowd of the lunch room. We started going there at the beginning of the year so we always had a spot there. Now because some people choose not to take care of what they have we had to get thrown into the mess and confusion of what is referred to as the lunch room. I wasnt too worried but once I got in line and got my food I stepped out of the line and felt like a scared little freshman again. I felt like a loser I think I stood there for 5 minutes just looking for a spot to sit! Finally I found my friends sitting at a table so I went to sit by them but there was no room left so I had to share a seat with my friend Hailee. Haha yeah we are cool we cant even find our own spots! What does this tell me? We get so used to routine and our set group of friends that when put in a situation we cant adjust to the different surroundings. We get so used to our cliques that we can adjust and morph in and out of different clique groups. Most of the kids that ate in the band hall were band kids. And Im not going to lie when we went into the cafeteria there was a table full of band kids. And which table did I want to gravitate towards? Yes the "Band Table". The stories they say about the cliques at school are pretty much true. We all have our defined groups we feel most comfortable in but I think there is one thing that isnt true. They say that these cliques dont let anyone in their groups but I think the real problem is ourselves. We dont venture out to different people. We like our nice little safe bubble of people. So I challenge you, tomorrow sit at a different table, sit with someone you normally wouldnt. Who knows what will happen?!? :D

~Mildred

Indoor Marching Band Classic

The official final, end of the 2009 Marching Band Season. Usually I wouldnt look forward to something like this, its just a performance, we dont compete and its on a Monday night when all I want to do is go home and sleep! But what I do like about these performances is that we get to watch either the Iowa State or the Iowa marching bands play some of their songs for us. THis is really cool because the performance is complete with dance team members, cheerleaders, and a baton twirler! They are really good at both marching and playing and it just makes me want to be all that better. Considering that we had to condense our show about 10 yards and the floor was really slippery and there was no traction and the whole place echoed I would say we did really well for our last performance. Although not exactly the most exciting show or competition surely a good one to end the season with. So we hang up our uniforms for another year, clean up the shoes, store the plumes and count down the days until band camp! (Yes I did actually just say that. I know, Im a geek :) A Kennedy Marching Band Geek!!!!!!)

~Mildred

All State Auditions 2009

I woke up that morning with a queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach. It was the day of All State audtitions. Althought I knew I was only trying out to better my flute playing skills and it didnt really matter to me if I got in or not just the thought of going into a room and playing for a judge gave me the creeps. I hate auditions they make me so nervous so I was surprised to see when I got in there my nerves went right away and I actually played really well. It was a great experience and I might do it again next year. Most importantly it got me ready for school auditions for chairs for concert band and it helped me improve my skills.

~Mildred

Drama Drama Drama!

What do you think of when you think High School? One of the top things is DRAMA! Not so much among boys I assume but a lot among girls. There is ALWAYS something happening that is the center of attention. Susy said this about Sally. Kristen is flirting with Morgans boyfriend. Sarah bought the same pair of shoes that Jessica had first. I find this all completely stupid and a major waste of time. This has been a horrible week for me because of drama. And I got to realize why is it so horrible? Some of my friends thought I was doing something that I was most definitely not. Or I felt I wasnt. When my friend confronted me about it I was really thrown for a loop. I couldnt eat or sleep or concentrate on anything because I thought my friend was mad at me. When I told the friend that called me that I didnt want to talk to the other girl about this problem to avoid drama but she could call me if she was upset I didnt hear anything back from her. But then I found out my friend was extrememly upset with me. I was devastated. The whole week everything I think about, everything I do is based off of this situation. It is controlling my life. They might not think that what they said was that big of a deal or the fact that they are mad at me is a big deal but to me my friends and family are everything. Without them I would be lost. Even if I am not as close of friends with some of my friends than others I still am just as devastated when something comes between us. This whole week this situation I am in has been like a puppet master and I am the little marionette just dancing to its whim. It has been eating away at me like a crow picks at a dead raccoon carcus. Why? Why is this so important to me that it makes me feel this bad? I know I shouldnt get this upset about rumors or what people think about me but it really does get to me. I am trying to stop that about myself. What does get to me is when friends are mad at me. I know that usually my friends will get over it in a day or so but just the thought of losing a friend for good scared the crap out of me. Everytime a friend doesnt talk to me I cant help but wonder, what if this friend never speaks to me again. What if this is it and I never get to see her again and things never go back to the way they were. Sometimes you have to just let things cool over and simmer for a while until they go back to normal. I have found that if you just leave something be and dont continue to annoy it and agitate it most things resolve themselves. Why do girls feel the need to create such drama in the first place? Are we so bored with our lives that we have nothing better to do than just bring up stupid things to fight and nit pick about. Some of the things I have fought with my friends about has been really dumb let me tell you. I am by no means an angelic child who never causes drama of her own let me tell you that but after this event that happened to me this week I have made a goal to cause as little drama as possible. I want to have fun my highschool year that includes not losing any friends over stupid problems. I know that just because I will try not to cause drama drama wont start around me. It will and I understand that but I am going to try my best to ignore it and move on. Because if you think about it really what is so important that is going to change our lives in highschool? Non of the drama really matters when you dig down deep to the center of it. Thats why I am choosing to ignore drama and steer clear of it. I understand that this is harder than it sounds and I realize it is going to take a tough skin to do but I think in the end it will make me a better person. I hope my friends can see the light in this new way of life too. So lets hear it for a drama free year! (Hopefully;D)

~Mildred

Slow Down and Smell the Roses :)

So Halloween is just around the corner and that means trick or treaters, watching scary movies in the darkness of the basement, carving pumpkins and going to haunted houses. The fall is a lovely time of the year and I always loved going out and trick or treating as a child for Halloween. Halloween is one of those holidays that people arent obligated to celebrate for their religion but it is a fun way to get away with the stress of everyday life. My family always makes it a tradition to go out and get pumpkins from a pumpkin patch. It is always fun for me because it is a long drive out in the countryside so you get to see all the trees changing color and it is really beautiful. It is also a good time for some good old (pardon my cheesiness) family bonding. I think it is important for families to have designated time just for them. In a world of texting, emailing, boyfriends, sleepovers, homework and work galore it is always good to slow down and enjoy things. The only thing I could think of this morning was waking up and getting all of my homework done. To be honest I was hoping we would forget about the pumpkin patch. But we went out for breakfast and once we got there I was expecting to chill my butt off but I got out of the car and it was actually pretty nice weather out today. I got to take a look at all the beautiful trees and all their pretty colors and I found some cats that were really cute to take pictures of. I even forgot for a moment about all the work I had to do, my audition in band the next week, and my math quiz I have on Wednesday. I think I take my family for granted sometimes. Lots of people dont have it as good as I do. A mother and father who arent divorced a little sister who looks up to me. Even people who dont have the perfect family its never too late to start talking. Sometime just take a little time to get to know each other. You may have lived under the same roof with them for your whole life but you never really know them quite as well until you have watched a movie, played Taboo, or gone to get pumpkins with them.

~Mildred

Playtime Poppy

Playtime Poppy auditions were Wednesday. We had to do a couple of scenes from the play and sing a song. The show this year is A Year with Frog and Toad. It is a musical and it should be really fun :) The cast list went up on Friday and I got the role of Lizard. Although I dont know what that role entitles quite yet I am very excited to start in on the rehearsals. We start rehearsal on Monday. There is a cast of about 20 people total. So come to see it! I will put up details later :)

~Mildred

Haunted Police Station!

So me and my friends decided to get in the halloween spirit and go to the Haunted Police Station this weekend. We had a great time, jumping at gargoyles and getting chased by masked men with chainsaws. It got me thinking though, what is so thrilling about being terrified? Why do people deliberately rent horror movies, go to frightmare forest and haunted houses, go on scary rides just to get the living day lights scared out of them? To me it is the thrill of it. The rush of adrenaline you get when you know that that dummy in the corner is real and is going to pop out at you and yet you still scream bloody murder when he does. Its just something about not knowing what is going to happen, that feeling of being out of control that gets your heart rate going. Im not one to take big risks, i have never been sky diving or bungee jumping. I have never wrestled a bear or performed a dangerous stunt. So when I get the chance to take little risks like renting a scary movie or go to a scary place I take it. I used to hate rollercoasters, and pretty much every other kind of thrill ride that you can find at amusement parks but I found a quote that really hits home with me. The biggest risk in life is not taking any at all. I want to look back on my life and remember doing crazy things and I want to be able to tell my grandchildren, yeah I really did that :) Now I know renting prom night and watching it in the dark on a Friday night with my friends isnt really what you would call a big risk but for me its a start. There are parts of a movie that I would want to turn away and not watch but I would force myself to look just to push myself to the limits, see if I could do it. At the haunted police station I started out in the back and after a while nobody wanted to go through a black curtain first so I took the lead and lead them through a couple of rooms. I was really proud of myself for that too. I know this probably sounds stupid and childish but they are baby steps and they are just fun to do with friends. So next time you are at a movie store or are trying to think of something to do think about renting a horror film or going to the haunted police station :) Challenge yourself take risks, see what you are capable of. You never know you might surprise yourself!



~Mildred