The Past 10

I'm sitting here bored out of my mind because I called in sick to school. I have appreciated the time at home though because I'm feeling completely  better now. I felt awful Monday and Tuesday and couldn't decide what to do last night. I figured if I went to school I would be miserably sick again and if I didn't go to school I'd feel fine which is about what happened. I woke up this morning feeling like I could have gone to school and was frustrated I ruined my plans for not. I've slept all day though, and just woke up and I'm feeling like a million bucks so I guess it was worth the day off.

Anyway, the whole point of this post... today, well the past few days, I've been thinking about all I've done in 10 years. 9/11 obviously sparked a lot of memories of everything that has happened in the last decade. This morning on TV they were was some channel playing all the number 1 hits from the 2000s. This definitely brought up a lot as I started thinking of everything I've accomplished/been through since the year 2000. I started to wonder if I had lived my life to the fullest. Did I waste it or did I live every day to make it count? This is basically a list I came up with since 2000...

• graduated middle school (wahoo!)
• started high school
• joined my Life Teen at church and learned a lot of valuable lessons. This is also what helped guide me through much of 4 years of high school and were numerous friendships began.
• learned to drive
• had my first serious relationship
• had my big heart break that really devastated me for a long time.
• learned the in's and out's of depression.
• ran cross country and varsity track
• had my first job
• got in trouble with the law for the first time (and only)
• learned the importance of friendship and keeping them
• learned to stay true to who I was
• graduated high school
• went to Tech
• joined a sorority
• learned that to be truly happy I would have to shed some walls and allow myself to risk getting hurt
• made new friends
• graduated college
• learned every friendship doesn't have to last
• learned an important lesson about love
• learned you can't live with certain friends
• started my big girl job
• got a big girl apartment
• learned that credit card debt is the devil
• found the love of my life
• took a chance and did the National Writing Project and it developed me into the teacher I wanted to be
• learned to coach which turned out to be one of the highlights of teaching
• got married to my very best friend

and I'm sure there are many others that I didn't think of. I feel like I have lived my life, and I'm proud of where I am. Everything I ever wanted is happening to me now and I'm so grateful for it. I truly am the happiest that I have ever been right now. Who knows what 10 years from now I will have, but I know I have a list of things I want to happen. Own a house, start a family, write a book on teaching and have it published, are just a few.

Have a good rest of the week everyone!

Thirteen Reasons

Have you all heard of the book called Thirteen Reasons Why.

I have to warn you before you read it that this book is really intense. It really got me thinking and I had a really hard time sleeping last night. A quick summary of the book... Hannah Baker committed suicide, but she had a few last things to say. Before taking a lot of pills, Hannah records 13 cassette tapes. Each tape is "dedicated" to a person who affected her life in some way or another. Many in a negative way. The rules... listen to all 13 tapes, pass them on to the next person, if you don't listen a 2nd set of tapes gets released to the public. The narrator of the book, Clay, always had a crush on Hannah, but never knew how to tell her. Now he has received the tapes, but can't figure out what he could have ever done to hurt Hannah so badly to kill herself.

Before reading this, I was hoping, based off the back of the book, that I could share the book with my class. Such a powerful message. Most of the things that Hannah speaks about on her tapes are negative comments/actions that most of the people probably thought were jokes. Unfortunately, it is a complete high school book. Lots of mature content is in the book. I just kept thinking what a great example at how just a little "joke" at a another's expense could change their friends, the way the feel about themselves, their entire lives.

This book really had me thinking. I literally could not put it down. Although when I did make myself put it down I couldn't stop thinking. I started to think of all the people who changed my life for the good or bad. If I were to write thirteen letters/tapes to thirteen people who would they be? Obviously, not for a suicidal reason. I just was really thinking hypothetically if I were to write these 13 letters who would they go to. I was really surprised at some of the people who I thought of. I won't go into detail of who all I thought of that would make too long of a post and quite personal. It was sort of funny to think that some people I thought of were in my life for such a small amount of time, but they made such a big impact.

Anyways, I really enjoyed the book. It was dark, very dark, but it was interesting.I really felt myself connect with the character. A lot of the feelings she had I could go back to my 16/17 year old self and relate to them.


(picture from http://www.waterstones.com/)