We are going to talk about Tigers. One of my favorite animals is a tiger. Some tigers are not always orange, they sometimes are white. I like both kinds of tigers. Tigers are called predators because they hunt other animals.
They don't eat leaves they eat meat. Tigers also eat People. Tigers sharpen their claws on trees. When an animal hears a tiger's roar, they start to run. Don't go near a real Tiger. Ashleigh
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Tonight was the worst night ever! I left my bag at karate. When Daddy's class finished I could not keep my eye off someone else's baby. I just got my shoes on when we needed to go. I was so excited to finally go home, I forgot all about my bag.
I did not even notice I had forgotten it until I got home. This post is my punishment for not taking care of my bag. I needed to do my blog anyway, so it is not that bad. At least he did not take all of my toys away! Then I would have nothing to play with. My sister Brought my bag back for me, though. She is a very good sister! Ashleigh Editor's note: I never take all of her toys away as punishment. I do take her iPad on occasion, though. "The best thing that a father can give his daughter is his time." For those of you who don't know, my Dad's birthday was yesterday. He turned 51, and my unprepared self had neither card nor gift ready for him... so before I even get into this post a little bit, I'd like to apologize for that because honestly, my Dad deserves a f*cking island and currently I have enough money in my pocket to maybe buy him a coffee... and honestly, nothing is harder than that because I care a LOT about my Dad. He's one of my favorite people of all time and honestly one of the best friends I could ever ask for, and I couldn't even begin to imagine what my life would be like without him in it. To get back to the quote, I fully agree with it- the best thing a Dad can give to his daughter IS indeed, his time... and my Dad does such an amazing job devoting as much time as he can not only to me, but to my sister as well. He always has, honestly. He's raised me essentially single-handed since I was 7, and my sister has always grown up with him. He's managed to raise us both to be respectful and thoughtful young ladies all while keeping a steady job, keeping us in karate, training with us, helping us learn... and that's BEFORE we get into all the times he's taken us out shopping, hiking, to the park, to museums, to tournaments, and all our little outings in between. As I said earlier, my Dad is my best friend. This shouldn't be news to any readers of this blog; as I've written many posts describing the awesome relationship I have with him and all the ways he's such a great Dad. I won't waste my time here and repeat what's already been said- I'll just re-instate that I truly enjoy his company and all of our trips for coffee, concerts, time spent gaming, shared sense of music, shared sense of humor, time spent watching anime, and even his memes. Instead of finishing up this post with more repetition... here is a slideshow to sum things up. A couple weeks ago we got a basket of fruit. We still have a lot in a bag. Today we got some more. We also got some other kinds of fruit. We are almost done with that.
I like a lot of fruit. I mostly like apples because an apple a day keeps the doctor away. That is what we say. I do not like black berries. I like a lot of fruits. Ashleigh This quote is such a honest metaphor for people who refuse to make progress in their life. I see examples of this everywhere in my life... friends claiming they've made progress toward becoming a better and healthier person when they've only taken one step and then stayed in place, people saying they're going to strive towards goals and then refusing to push themselves and progress... everyone says they'll try for something, but then they get comfortable with where they are and stop pushing themselves to go further.
I've always been taught that you are never too old to stop learning new things, and that you're never too old to stop trying. When I say I'm going to change, I throw everything I have into it... and I try to not quit until I've reached my goal. That's why I've climbed Mt. Monadnock 5 times now. That's why my lowest grade is a 95. That's why I'm a second degree black belt. Speaking of karate, karate is a perfect example of this "phenomenon". So many people take karate until they reach black belt... and then feel validated to drop out. They've attained their goal, so it no longer matters or is important to them. They leave and then saunter about for the rest of their days claiming they're a black belt. There are people who have been gone for years who still say they are, though they haven't practiced or came to class in ages... and while this doesn't deprive them of the title they fought to earn, it does deprive them of the application, fitness, and knowledge that they gained from their training. It's so sad to see people's talent go to waste. At the end of the day, this quote is telling you to shoot for your goals and to follow through with them. Don't reach a milestone and get comfortable or quit... because the moment you do, you're giving up on your goal in its entirety. Sure, you may not be as bad as you were before- but you still aren't where you set out to be. It's like climbing a mountain, and then getting halfway up and deciding to build a house and live there instead of actually completing the hike. Shoot for your goals, and finish them. Even the smallest of steps count, so long as they are in the right direction. - Maddie Today is Daddy's birthday. He is 51. I have said Happy birthday 3 times now. I gave him a piece of paper that had 3 hearts on it. I also got to wear a ponytail.
This is the first time I will get to wear one of my new hair styles. I am having a party for Dad today. I waited far too long for this. Just like I did for my birthday. Happy birthday Daddy. Ashleigh Four days ago I got a toy snail named Scooter. My Aunt and Uncle gave her to me. Scooter is pink with big green eyes. She has a purple shell. She also has purple antennas.
I've slept with her two times already. By the way, Scooter's shell is sparkly. Her skin is too. Same with her antennas. I like to play with Scooter. Ashleigh This is yet another google quote that resonated strongly with me, simply from my own personal experiences where I've gone through "storms". Hard times in life always end up bringing out the people who are actually there for you, and they will oftentimes surprise you... for me, when all hell broke loose between my friends last year, I lost a few friends I never would've expected to lose... friends who had previously spoken what turned out to be empty words in times of need. However, I also gained some new friends in unexpected places, one of which is now my boyfriend of 8 months.
I must say, after everything I've heard people say to me... I no longer know what to believe. Actions speak far louder than words, and too many people throw words out without a second thought and fail to live up to what they say. Everyone says they'll be there for you, or to call/text them if you need anything... but those same people will abandon you in a heartbeat based on rumors and lies. It is for this reason that a silent presence can mean so much more to me than the thousands of words that I hear on a day to day basis. I don't know... all I can say is that if you're not going to follow through with something, don't say it. You never know how much someone will take your words to heart, and how your lack of carrying through can affect them. - Maddie "One day, you will wake up and there won't be any more time to do the things you've always wanted. DO IT NOW."
I found the above quote on google, and it really resonated with me. With my grandma having cancer, everyone in the house has been encouraging her to do things within her reach on her bucket list- for example, she's always wanted to learn how to paint with watercolors. It's simple and not taxing at all, so I'm currently looking on google for local teachers. Around here, the scenery is beautiful and my grandma has always had a deep appreciation for it, and has taken inspiration from roadside painters throughout the seasons and wants to learn to capture the beauty herself. It's a fleeting dream that I don't think she should let escape her. One of her larger dreams had been to see San Francisco- and if you're a loyal reader, you'll know that last year my family took a cross-country train trip that ended in San Francisco. I'm glad we got to bring her while she still had some energy in her, so she could really appreciate and enjoy her time there. Aside from these two things (and a shopping trip with me and my sister)... she hasn't really said much about any of her other dreams. I know she has to have them- everyone does. But I really feel almost afraid that she may have had dreams that she might not have followed when she had the chance, and now sees them as unattainable for whatever reason. To this I say that it is never too late to at least TRY to reach your goals. They might not be as far away as they seem. Lack of energy and old age might seem to be a roadblock, but I don't think they should stop you from at least TRYING. The second that you stop trying is the second that you've truly given up... and no one deserves that. For anyone who is still somewhat young and thinks they've lost the chance to achieve their goals and dreams? Don't let anything stop you. There are plenty of people who didn't reach their full potential until they got older... hell, my dad began training in the martial arts when he was in his 40's and today at 51 he's not only a second degree black belt, but a certified Sensei under Hanshi Larry Sullivan at Sullivan's American Kenpo. He never dreamed that's what he'd be doing as he got older... yet here he is. Shoot for the moon- even if you miss, you'll land among the stars. - Maddie This quote comes from Nelson Mandela, and I honestly love it so much. For those of you who haven't read any of my previous posts, I am an advocate of the way you think being the key to changing your life- and also an advocate of even the smallest of choices and decisions having the largest impact on your life. This quote ties both of those things together, and I wanted to talk about it a little since I've really nothing else to write about.
I think this quote is telling people in a way that it's better to look at life like "it's better to look back and regret doing something than to look back and wonder about what could've been", and I think this way of thinking comes largely into play whenever we make decisions in life. When brought to a decision, we automatically weigh the odds and analyze the different outcomes... and sadly, most of these outcomes are driven by negatives. In my own case even I can say that anxiety and pessimism does tend to drive most of my choices. Granted, most of my choices haven't turned out too badly... but even so, they do leave me wondering what could've been had I chosen to follow my hopes instead of my fears. On the other hand, there is something to be said about following your fears. As long as they aren't controlling you, they can be a good thing. Fear in and of itself is a natural safety measure for the body based on previous experience... any fear that you have has a reason for being a part of you based on things that have happened in your past. It's up to you to decide which of your fears are realistic and are strong enough to sway you, and it's up to you to make your decisions based on past experiences with similar decisions... but in the end, everything you do winds down to how you think and how your mind processes different things. Fears and hopes can go hand in hand sometimes... don't get them confused. - Maddie This weekend, my Aunt Michelle and Uncle Rick came up and spent the long weekend with us. It was a pretty good time- we went out to eat, celebrated my Dad's birthday, went shopping, and even wound up playing a humorous game of Cards Against Humanity. All in all, a lot was accomplished and I think it was a good weekend. It didn't all go as planned- but it was time spent as family, and that is what I believe is the most important.
Aside from that, life has been a bit hectic recently. Someone had to make this post at some point, and I don't want readers thinking that both Dad and I have been lazy in our writing, so I'll just say it like it is- currently, my grandmother has cancer and life has been a flurry of doctor's visits, phone calls, and a LOT of work for my dad as my grandma rests and tries to recover in her own way. I won't say much more than that since I honestly don't know what the family wants shared or not, but I feel it's unfair to leave loyal readers entirely in the dark. Personally, I've started a few new classes and am now scrambling to finish a few others that have been hanging around for a bit now. Everything needs to be turned in by June 20th and I've been slightly behind, but some of my newer classes are easier and I think they'll get done quicker than some of my others (specifically Public Speaking. I really hate Public Speaking). I've also been trying to do cleaning here and there around the house where I can, and I've been running more errands with my dad- groceries and such. In any case, that's why posts haven't been as frequent from the both of us. Hopefully, my sister has been doing a good job of keeping you entertained. Blogs should be out more frequently from here on out. - Maddie I was sick all sins Saturday. I still am sick a lot. I am so sick I barely can eat my breakfast. Same with lunch, and dinner. I did not even eat my ice-cream because i am so sick.
Now i drink a lot because i am sick. I puked 3 times the day i got sick.Today in class I felt a little strange. I did not puke though. I hate to be sick. Ashleigh “The man of knowledge must be able not only to love his enemies but also to hate his friends.”2/14/2017 This is the second quote that has truly struck me tonight. I see so much of a lack of "hate for friends" in my own friend group and it's only been recently that people have been coming around. When the word "hate" is used in this quote, I don't think it was meant literally. I think that knowing to "love your enemies" is to know to remain calm and peaceful with people, even if they're in a negative light in your eyes... and I think knowing to "hate your friends" means to be able to pick out when someone you're close to is being an irrational asshole.
Don't get me wrong, I love all of my friends- and there's little I wouldn't do for them, most of the time. But there are times where one of them will do something that's a bit morally absurd, and I think it's at these times when it's wise to know when to "hate your friends". To take things a step further- there are people who will say they are your friend, only to turn around and stab you in the back. "Fear not the enemy who confronts you, but the fake friend who hugs you." Be wise enough to not stand by traitors and fools. To sum this quote up- a wise man knows to be kind to his enemies, but also when to let his friends stand alone. You shouldn't continually back someone up when they're doing shitty things simply because they're your "friend". On the flip side, don't be blinded by fake people who will manipulate and hurt you in the end- be wise enough to know the difference between love and abuse. Know when to hate your friends. - Maddie I love this quote because it resonates with me on a deep level. It took me awhile to find a quote to write about tonight, mainly because I was looking for a quote that would inspire me to write... and this one has done exactly that. Funnily enough, I was discussing something similar to this with my boyfriend earlier in the car... about how people's opinions on certain things can be misconstrued simply due to a lack of knowledge of a person's personal experiences to the outside world.
Allow me to explain: A beautiful example of secret sorrows can be attributed to my past. Most people who know me know that my mom is dead, know that my parents divorced, and know that I have a strong resentment against alcohol- but most simply take it as "family problems" that "every teenager deals with" and it truly pisses me off sometimes. Most people tend to jump to conclusions and make rash assumptions about my opinions and why I hold them and my life in general without knowing the severity of the situation. While usually my attitude towards people who make assumptions would be "fuck 'em" (I'm my father's child, if you couldn't tell), it bothers me that I hear "can you get over it?" or "it's a part of culture" on the regular about my opinion when I try to explain things. For your information, no. I can't "get over it" because I stood witness to a horrible addiction and battle with mental illness that destroyed me AND my family for 4 years from the time I was 7 to my mom's untimely death when I was 11. I went through severe trauma that I had NO control over at a very young age and it wasn't just "family struggles" that happen to everyone. This was SO much more than that and it turned my life upside down. Your cheap and offensive jokes are different from the ones I may make in the sense that I might, might, poke fun at you for your own dumb mistakes in the past- if and ONLY if you're okay with that. What you choose to poke fun at? For me, that wasn't a choice. It wasn't a stupid regret I could look back on and giggle at years down the road. There was no regret to be had because I DID NOT HAVE A CHOICE IN THE SITUATION. I was forced through it whether I liked it or not, and I would not wish it on anyone EVER. This all being said, I am to this day judged for my unpopular opinions and assumed to be a drama queen whenever I try to explain to people why I have the opinion I do. I've given up explaining to people who want to joke about the matter- it's simpler for me to just cut them out of my life. Who needs that negativity? Not me. - Maddie This should be my final post on the topic of psychology for a little bit- I just wanted to tie up all my loose ends with my previous two posts so I can move on peacefully with my blogging.
For those of you who don't know, I wish to be a psychologist when I grow up. This means achieving a master's degree in psychology (6 years of extra school after I graduate) and likely would lead to starting my own business. I'll also likely have to go away for school, as there aren't many good colleges in the area, let alone any that specialize in psychology. While this is a challenging long-term goal, I am more than ready to accept the challenge since psychology sincerely interests me and I want to be able to help people for many reasons later in my life. You might be looking at the title of this post and wondering what the difference between psychology and psychiatry is. There are a bunch of minor differences, but I'm going to touch upon the main couple here:
As explained in my previous post about medications for mental illness... I'd be far too afraid to misdiagnose someone and screw them up permanently for the rest of their life. At least even with limited information, a psychologist can attempt to treat the symptoms of someone's illness. Even with limited and select information, a psychologist can help without doing permanent damage... as a psychiatrist, I'd be far too afraid to prescribe a drug far too serious for anyone to handle. I'd be afraid of hooking a person for life on something they never needed to begin with... and that is why, despite the large difference in pay, I would rather be a psychologist. - Maddie "The person who takes medicine must recover twice, once from the disease, and once from the medicine." This post will serve as a part 2 to my last post- which focused more on self-diagnosis and the scientific progress that has been made in the field of psychology in the past few decades. At the end of that post, I stated that I wanted to give my opinion on modern medicine- PARTICULARLY medicines prescribed and given to the mentally ill to treat the symptoms of their afflictions. Before I even get into my own opinion, I want to clarify that while I fully support therapy and getting help from professionals when needed... I do not support medicines at all. Many of the medicines given to the mentally ill are terrible (more on that later), addictive, and too risky to be prescribing when there is even the SLIGHTEST chance of mis-diagnosis. I've seen people my age be mis-diagnosed with severe caused of PTSD and anxiety disorders and put on heavy anti-psychotic and anti-depressant medications because of it... medications that can throw off the balance of chemicals in your brain ENTIRELY and make your situation worse if you were misdiagnosed. This leads me back to a previous argument- how people tell their psychologists/psychiatrists/therapists/whatever what THEY believe to be the problem instead of the entire story. This snowballs into mis-diagnosis, which can snowball into medications being wrongly prescribed.... which can lead to screwed up minds and horrible addictions. On the flip side of things, if medications are so quickly prescribed to the "mentally ill", technically anyone can fake their symptoms as a quick way to get legal access to otherwise illegal and prohibited drugs. The entire process of things just seems sketchy to me, and as "neurotypical" as it may sound- I believe strongly that there is a natural cure for everything. Including mental illness... perhaps even ESPECIALLY mental illness. Everything afflicted is in your mind and while you may have damaged neuro-pathways, you can at least learn ways to cope with them and handle your own mind without screwing with the natural chemicals in your mind. To prove my own point, I'll leave a comparison chart below. To tie this up? You shouldn't be prescribing people who are deemed mentally ill medicine with side effects that are equivalent to their symptoms. It makes NO SENSE.
Maddie Today I read a new book called ''Magic Tree House High Tide in Hawaii.'' One day, Jack, and Annie went to the tree house to get the last thing they needed for Camelot. They found a book about Hawaii and went there. There they met a girl named Kama, and a boy named Boka. They were very nice.
They let them sleep with them, and the next day they went surfing. Jack was good when he was on his belly but when he stood up he fell into the water and got washed up on the sand. He Stayed on the sand until he saw a wall of water going to splash on Annie and the others. He told them about it and they all go to the sand. After that they found the thing they needed. It was friendship. Then they went home safe, and sound. Ashleigh Today I read a new book called ''Magic Tree House Good Morning Gorillas.''One rainy day, Jack and Annie went to the Magic Tree House to help Camelot.They found a book about a rain forest and went there. There they found Gorillas including a silverback. The silverback and the other Gorillas seemed to like Annie, but not so much Jack.
It finally came to breakfast time and some of the gorillas started to like Jack.That is when one of the gorillas found the thing and gave it to jack. It was a twig. Then after breakfast it was time to get groomed. Then it was time for bed. The next day 3 little baby gorillas named Bu-bu, Ho-ho and Little guy, went into the woods and ran into a black leopard. Jack and Annie came to save them. Jack remembered the Silverbacks attack and tired it. It worked. Then the silverback came other and was very happy. That is when they told them they needed to go home. They did. Ashleigh The quote above comes from Carl Gustav Jung, a psychiatrist born in 1875. Though Jung died in 1961, this quote was ahead of his time, I believe. If only he could've seen the research done today, he'd truly see the meaning behind his quote. Today, as my dad would say, everyone seems to believe they're sick, or mentally ill in some way- and while comparing the past to the present seems like a great idea, you have to take into consideration that there have been numerous studies done since the beginning of time that have improved our understanding of our minds and how they function.
I believe that saying that everyone today thinks they're ill in comparison to the years prior isn't a fair statement. Cancer existed before we knew it did. So did the more severe mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia, or Alzheimer's, or even dementia. I don't think that the severity of an illness should define the "importance" or "validity" of it. Between 1960 and 1970, there were only 350 recorded cases of cancer in the US. As of 2010, it was estimated that 1,685,210 new cases of cancer would be recorded yearly and that of those numbers, 595,690 people would die from the disease. Now... do you think those numbers have escalated because cancer has suddenly began spreading more easily? Or because we've done more research and are now able to identify it much easier. The same holds true for mental illness... just because we didn't have the resources to identify it back then, doesn't mean that it didn't exist. We just didn't recognize it for what it was, and thus we all walked around assuming that how we behaved was normal. As a population, I don't think any of us can any longer say that we aren't mentally ill- it's just how willing we are to accept that as a species, it is within us to be flawed. Some cases are far more severe than others, but in general, I believe that everyone suffers from something (and always has). Research has just come a long way and is at the point where anyone can access information about mental illness, and study for themselves to see what criteria they fit. I think it's great. It empowers a younger generation and gives them the resources to take care of themselves- either through self-help or necessary therapy. It can be just as empowering for the older generations, too... if they'd be willing to take off the rose-colored glasses and accept progress as it is. Some mental illnesses may not sound serious to you, but your opinion in no way invalidates the suffering of those who haven't yet learned to cope with themselves. So if someone wants to say they've self-diagnosed, or that they suffer from a "behavioral issue" or "something they need to get over" such as ADD, ADHD, or an anxiety disorder? All the better. The first step to recovery is identifying the problem and accepting it. Now... I have a lot more that I could say about the medications prescribed for these illnesses... which is what some people confuse for research, I believe. But that is a separate post in and of itself. That's all for now, Maddie When the moon is in a position where it blocks direct sun light it makes a Solar Eclipse. An eclipse usually lasts about three to seven minutes.When eclipses come some people think a monster is devouring the sun. If you are wondering, they are wrong. It is just the moon moving in front of the sun, as it orbits around the earth.
This can happen only at new moon when the sun and the moon are in conjunction as seen from Earth in an alignment referred to as syzygy. In a total eclipse, the dish of the sun is fully obscured by the moon. The moon orbits the Earth about ounce every 28 days. Ashleigh |
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