Something that has been running into my mind for years is social rules, or the social “norm”. What are these rules, and how are these rules established? I mean, I’ve observed and learned about the social rules, whether it’s from movies (who sometimes depict them horribly), friends, family, or just the plain view of the general public. People seem to follow them subconsciously, but why? Something obscure like the “guy code” or rules for the high school cliques are heavily followed upon. I’m not understanding how people’s minds are functioning to follow these things. I’m thinking it’s a cultural thing and something psychological to go along with it. I mean, being exposed to the urban culture is something that affects young or old people altogether and they seem to believe most things that are within reason. Now then, they seem to fit this into their normal lives. These “rules” or “codes” or whatever the hell they call them are somehow programmed as something perfectly fine, as if there’s nothing wrong with it. ...

I recently finished my essay for the Bob McIntyre Scholarship, and I wanted to put the essay here. This might be the only essay I’ll ever try on. Everyone has something that helps them grow as a person. Whether it’s a sport, a hobby, or a school subject, it makes them unique. The sport of track & field has done wonders over my four years in high school to help me grow into the person I want to be. Through the good times and the bad times, this sport has taught me very valuable lessons day by day to help me mature into an adult. I’ve grown a passion for the sport over the years that have helped me grow into the hardworking and focused individual I want to be. It is the performances that I participate in, whether they’re great or not, that help me gain strength in the skills I once lacked. ...

Well, it’s vacation. Maybe not for some college kids, but for the some of the average high school students, yes. That gives me a lot of things to once again ponder over. For example, what I’m about to explain today is nothing more than another one of my personal opinions that involve my life. Enjoy reading that for another change. I’ll explain this thoroughly. Ever have that feeling where you’re not getting enough attention or credit for something that deserves high credit? That’s my entire life. Whether it’s based on schoolwork or some athletic base thing, someone is not getting enough attention for their achievements. Why is that? You work long enough and hard enough to reach a certain pinnacle in your life and no one is there to give you the celebration you strived for. The hypothetical answer is, there’s someone out there who doesn’t have to work as hard to get the exact same achievement. ...

It’s the season that comes every year, and it’s the one that gets on my nerves the most. That is Winter, and what it entails is snow. Snow is just one of those love/hate relationships. You can have fun with it, but at the same time, it’s also a pain in the butt. I mean, waking up in the morning to look outside and see the snow is exhilarating. I mean, that probably means you have no school. Except on your day off, you’re ending up shoveling all that snow. So much for the day off. ...

Well, Thanksgiving was yesterday. I’m sure people enjoyed their football games and family get-togethers with Turkey, Cranberry Sauce, Stuffing, and not to mention that sensational Pie. Well, I was not one of those people who enjoyed the luxury of the Thanksgiving holiday, as my family does not celebrate it with open arms. So I “enjoyed” a very relaxing day. Of course, that entailed watching the last 10 minutes of the Burlington/Lexington Football game, only to go on a 5 mile run after it, and sitting at home for the entire day not doing anything. Of course, that time also gave me much time to think about certain things. ...