Dear Future Jaden,

You may not remember me. The girl with the glossy eyes and dark haunted thoughts, but perhaps you do remember and try your hardest to keep your distance me. What ever the case maybe, I dream that you are better. I wish that you live fearlessly and passionately. You have spent too many years of your life in a dark depression. You DESERVE to be happy. Even if I do not see it now, I hope you see clearly eventually.


There is one thing I must stress above all other. FOLLOW YOUR DREAM. I have the highest hopes and aspirations for you. Stop being shy! Spread your wings and reach for what you want. You will never get anywhere by staying in your comfort zone. Speak for what you need and desire. The world will not stop spinning if you tell people what you want. YOU HAVE A CHOICE IN YOUR DESTINY.


My greatest wish is that one day I will understand how special life is. Hopefully you have reached that point in our journey of life. Do not look back at the sad shadow of a girl we use to be, Look forward to the beautiful women we are still creating.

Rejection

GUYS I MADE A BOOK

El conejito mucho hambre

by Jaden Cataldo

Live and forgive.

For a while, I was angry
I even hated you for being away
Most of all, I missed the person I never knew
I knew very much that it was not my fault,
And I never blamed this on myself
Because it was your choice to leave
You knew all too well that you messed up,
You knew what you did was wrong,
You knew exactly why you lost everything, as so you say
Time healed my wounds,
and the many questions
Then you came back
Thirteen years later
You.
Came.
Back.
I was not thrilled with the situation as some would expect.
Neither was my family
Or even my friends
They say "the past is the past" but I could not look at you the same way I did in my imagination
I know I should forgive you
And please understand that I am trying to get past it.
But something's take more than an apology and going out for ice cream.

What is Love?

   Love and Companionship are two basic human needs. We all want to feel loved and needed in other peoples lives. Some may be fortunate enough to have many different relationships in their lives. I am lucky enough to have an amazing boyfriend, great bestfriends and two wonderful dogs as my companions.
   I met my boyfriend, Matthew, the first day of my freshman year at ECHS and we have been together ever since. I am very lucky that I have found someone who sees past my flaws and loves me unconditionally. I can tell him anything and I know he will still see me as the same person. He has been my rock when life gets hard and I rely on his company more than anything.
   Matthew and my best friends Kayla, Odette and Jamie are always here for me whether I am right or wrong they stand by my side and fight for me. My friends keep me smiling and always help me see the bright side of life. They genuinely care about my well being. They are so important to me and I could not live without them.
   At the end of the day when I am home alone by other best friends are there. My dogs, Jamoga and Penny Lane. I believe that people rely on pets so much because love is blind to them. Pets do not judge on flaws or on physical appearance  They love their owners because their owners love them. They love wholeheartedly and unconditionally
    I am so grateful that I have MANY people in my life that love me and care about me. I could not imagine life without them

Responaiblty

Responsibility is a trait not many people have, but many people learn to accept as they become older. Children for example, do not know when to take responsibility for their actions because they do not want to face the consequences  I believe that once a "child" becomes old enough to help themselves they should be held accountable for their actions. If they lie or do something wrong they should step up and say that they did not make the right choice. Same rule applies for adults; For example, adult B walks by adult A, who is homeless and begging on the street, who is at fault? I believe that A is mostly at fault for a number of reasons. One, because person A has gotten themselves into the situation. Two, because they are not strong enough to help themselves out of the situation. This is not to be said that they did not have hardships that brought them there, but they should try there hardest to get their life back on track. As for person B, they also have some responsibility in the situation. They could, and should, be the bigger person and stop and help the homeless man\woman. Unfortunately many people do not stop to help homeless people on the street. Although, we as human beings have certain responsibilities to other humans, such as helping in times of need. No matter what the situation is, we need to step up and take responsibility for our actions and others, even if we have nothing to do with the situation.

Butterfly Garden

A project that I spent a lot of time on would have to be my Bronze Award for Girl Scouts. There are 3 different "prestigious" awards girls can  accomplish in Scouting. First, the Bronze Award for Junior Girl Scouts. (4-5th Grade). Second the Silver Award for Cadette Girl Scouts (6-8th Grade) and finally the Gold Award for Senior and Ambassador Girl Scouts (9-12 Grade). I was in 5th grade when I first started my Bronze Award project. There are MANY guidelines and regulations to meet while completing these awards. Such as how many hours a person/troop has to contribute and if a person has to work independently inside or outside of Girl Scouts. I worked within my troop, which means we all completed the award together. We decided that we would make a butterfly garden at Camp Timberlane, our "home" Girl Scout camp in Wakeman. Although there were other Troops also using the garden as a Bronze Award, there was A LOT of hard work to do. First we cleared out the area that camp told us we could put the garden at. Then we had to spread out giant mounds of soil and mulch that the grounds keeper, Ed, dumped there for us. At the time the piles were taller than I was. After spreading all of the dirt out,  Ed took my troop out to a local field that was over grown with wild flowers. We got to choose what type of flowers we wanted to put in the garden. A very close Girl Scout friend, Sunny, helped us chose what flowers attracted more butterflies. Then we got planting! My troop had a fairly large section of the garden to work with, so the whole project took months to complete, but it paid off once it was done. At the end of it all the garden was beautiful. We made stepping stones with all of our names and Troop number to line the paths in the garden. Finally we had a large ceremony with our families so they could see us be pinned with our Bronze Awards. I am very proud of all the hard work I put into the garden, although now it is overgrown and filled with weeds... I plan to go back this summer and help put life back in the garden again.

Adventures

Many well known (and little known) people have explored the unknown and uncertain in the past. For example, people such as Christopher Columbus, sailing "off the edge of the Earth" and young adults moving to go to a new state or school.As for the people who do not get up and go, I would assume they often wonder "what if".

Every one has different reasons for adventure, some may be to prove a point while others maybe to challenge themselves. For Columbus in 1492 it was to see beyond the World that he knew. He longed for new exciting land and fortune. He took a huge risk and got exactly what he wanted. (Minus the fortune.) As for young adults moving it is an adventure in itself. Getting a job, living on their own, and being completely independent. It can be scary to be alone in the World but many people take the leap. New challenges and adventures can be difficult for some, but for others it is destined for them to reach out and go for what they want in life.

One does not simply get up and go on an adventure. The people that do go often sacrifice a lot to get there. They must leave friends and family behind. They are potentially risking their entire lives in some circumstances.  They may not make it back alive and will never see loved ones again. Columbus did not know what he was going to find or if he was going to make it but he kept going anyways. With all of the famine and hunger he could have been killed by a number of things but he braved through it. I am sure when he returned his family was extremely happy too see that he was safe and sound.

White Liar

Many people in society often tell little white lies. "I'll be back in a few minutes" sometimes means "I'll be back in an hour.. Or two" Most little white lies are harmless and do not mean much. They are usually said to protect the person inquiring. Although, sometimes little lies turn into bigger and bigger lies until they snowball out of control. There have been many television shows over the years that starts with a character telling a little lie about why the cannot come to work, or go to someone's party. Then it starts going bad. They are suddenly chasing their tail trying to remember what lie they told what person and how they are going to cover it up. (This would be a great time not to lie in the first place.)

So when is it ok to lie? I personally do not think little white lies will hurt much, but it becomes a problem when you tell a major lie, or you lie to someone you care about. If their is important informant to tell a bestfriend or reletive, then it migh not be the best idea to keep them in the dark. I think it would be beetter if they were mad for trying to protect them, rather than be mad for NOT protecting them

I am a very good liar, but I try not to do it often. I have found that honesty is the best policy. I may be able to lie but what good do I get out of lying? Not getting in trouble at home maybe. But I would not want to hurt one of my friends with my lies.  I believe that if the world stopped lying things would be a whole lot better, sadly this wish will most likely never happen.

 "White Liar" by Maranda Lambert

Past, Present, Future.

High School is a rough time for everyone, but being in Early College High School is a completely different story. It is very different than the other schools that I have atteneded. It is more demanding academicly and emotionally. Even before my education I have had my struggles, but I have also had great accomplishments and still have aspirations for my future.

I have always considered myself to be a fairly good student; this is not to say that I have not have my fair share of academic struggles. While some of my strong points are reading and English, I tend to struggle with math. The subject just does not come easy to me and I have trouble keeping up with the rest of the class. I often get discouraged because of this and tend to give up. Although, I have been trying to push myself this year, which is a struggle because of my procrastination and laziness. I have a tendency to put what I have to do off until the very last minute, then not finish it because I just simply do not feel like it. Despite my academic flaws I have also had some pretty good accomplishments.

I have never done anything spectacular in my schooling but I have achieved some significant accomplishments. One of my best accomplishments was in my 6th grade year at Lakeview Elementary when I won a county wide essay contest about energy conservation. I had written the best essay out of all of Lorain County Schools, and received 4 tickets to a Cleveland Cavilers game. (This was also the very first basketball game I went too). During the same school year I also found that I was reading at a college reading level, which was very exciting for me because I love to read and it was great to finally see it paying off. Another accomplishment that I feel is important is how I kept decent grades. Between being involved in activities outside of school and also putting homework and projects off until the last minute, I am very proud that I have maintained decent grades during my years of schooling. However, these accomplishments are in the past and I am looking forward to my future aspirations.

The future is big and bright ahead of me, so the question is what to do with it. My academic aspirations are fairly simple and can probably be considered short term goals. First I want to get all A's at least one semester. I have been trying to achieve this goal for a while but my math grade always holds me back. Hopefully I can break the habit and get this checked off my list. Second, I want to get high scores on my ACT and SAT tests. These scores will help me with getting into the colleges that I really want to get into, and if I get high enough scores I will have bragging rights. Third, I want to graduate Early College at the top of my class. I might have some stiff competition but I believe that if I push myself harder I can actually do it. I believe that if I kick my bad habits and push myself I can actually reach my goals.

Looking past my flaws in my education, I have achieved some pretty good goals and I have more to strive for. I will not give up on my dreams no matter what obstacles I face. I have been challenged in the past and I know that if I really put my mind to it I can do anything I want to do and more.

Cyber Bullying

Bullying is becoming a huge problem in todays society. It takes a lot of guts to bully a person face to face, but now-a-days we all communicate over computer or texts, and it makes bullying a whole lot easier. People bully for all different reasons. To seek revenge, to make themselves feel better, to make others feel worse. To me a bully is a weak person. If a person needs to put others down to raise themselves up then the person needs help. They either have very low self esteem or they just love to hurt others.

I think it is safe to say that the people who do the bullying are sad people, but what about the other people who see bullying being done and don't say anything? It has been statistically shown that if a bystander steps into a situation that it will mostly likely be diffused. So why do most of us turn away when we see these things? We chuckle and say "oh man! He/ she just got dogged!" And keep scrolling down the page. We shake it off like it is nothing and continue on with our day. Yet we do not see the bullied person at home crying. Or plotting their death over something some pathetic teenager said about them.

Often times bullies do not realize the affect they have on people. It seems that in todays world that it is almost acceptable to commit suicide for being bullied. It is all over the news and people just shake their heads and say "it's such a pity that that happened to such an innocent child" yet they do nothing to change the world us children are living in.

We as a society, as a human race, need to step back and take a look at what we are doing to each other. We need to realize that we are killing our own. Maybe not literally but by kicking someone while they are already down is killing their soul. We do not realize how harsh we are to each other, and maybe, just maybe if we all take a good hard look at what is going on in this world we will understand how precious these people and how we can keep ignoring this on going problem.

It's like standing in the Atlantic Ocean, not when the water is as clear as glass and everything is perfect.. but when the water is angry. Splashing up, knocking down everything in its path, then quickly and all at once pulls back and waits to strike again. It lets things go back to normal, lets things settle down, then attacks. Again. And again. And again. Until finally, the current is too much to bear and pulls everything under. It's scary at first, being under with no way out. But then something inside says "stop fighting". Some people choose to ignore that voice, they fight and fight until they get out. They finally reach the shore and everything is ok. Then there are the others, the ones who choose to let the current take them. They let it happen and they don't make it out alive.

Swipper No Swipping!

Is it right for people to claim things that do not belong to them? Is it ok for someone to walk up and take something just because they want it or think they deserve it? To me, it is not ok. I think that taking things that belong to someone else is morally wrong and is also considered theft. For example, if there is a wallet laying on the sidewalk filled with not only money and credit cards but also a ID with the persons name and address it is not simply ok to take it and pretend nothing ever happened.
Now the other prospective, is it ok for someone to take their property or belonging back? The wallet situation for example, I think it the person who lost the wallet has every right to confront the person who took their wallet and demand it back. A situation where it would not be acceptable to take someone's belongs away would be if the person received it as a gift. It would just be rude if a person gave someone a gift then tried to take it back.
Point being, do not take things that belong to others.

Heroes and Victims

    Heroes are everywhere in this world, in every shape, size and color. From policemen, to firemen, to veterans and just plain everyday people. We can all be a hero, it is just a matter deciding who to put first, ourselves or others. For professions such as soldiers, police officers, and firefighters it is not a choice. They risk their lives daily for the well being of others. Some people might wonder why, such as myself, but I believe that it is because they see the importance of human live. They see that this random person they are saving is a mother, father, brother, sister, friend, to someone out there. They know that it is more important to help these people get back to their lives, safe and happy, rather than save themselves. To me all of these people that risk themselves daily are truly selfless. They bring hope to community's, cities and even nations because of their selfless actions.
     On the opposite end of the spectrum, there are the people who only look out for themselves. Everyone probably has a different reason for saving themselves instead of helping others around them. Some people might be afraid of death, which causes them to panic or others might think they deserve to live opposed to the person standing next to them. The people who think they are better than everyone are truly selfish in my eyes. They obviously see no value in human life and they do not care about anyone or anything except for what they are going to get out of the deal. Often times these are the loneliest people, because they push everyone else away (sometimes literally). In most TV shows and movies these people are often the victims. They think they can handle everything on their own but in the end they are the ones who need to be saved.
    So next time there is someone in need or a disaster in the area, do not just simply walk away and pretend there was nothing to see, make a choice, to either be a hero or a victim.

Conversations with my 25 year old self.

If I could meet any person from the past, present or future I would choose to travel into the future and meet the 25 year old me. I would love to see how I ended up later in my life. I would love to see who I was married too, if I am married at all. If I have children or any on the way. Myself and I would drive around my hometown and eat at my favorite places. We would talk about all the events that have happened in the past/future 10 years. We would also talk about my childhood and how my past affected me as an adult. I would hope that the future me has a better outlook on life and is happier than I am currently. I think it would be interesting to see if things actually do get better as time goes on. I just hope that I am extremely happy in my life no matter where I am or what I am doing.

Best Friends

I just finished a book and it talked a lot about best friends. The narrator was explain the top 3 things she loves about her best friends.  I have been meaning to write about my best friends for a while now but I never knew what I was going to say... So here goes nothing. The top three things I love about my best friends.

     Kayla

1. She can read my mind. She knows EXACTLY what I am thinking before I even say it. We say the same things at the same time and finish each others sentences. I swear we have Twin Telepathy.

2. She is an AMAZING baker. She has a natural talent for baking, anything and everything. Even though whatever she makes usually comes out of a box it tastes like it's made from scratch.

3.  She is gross. She burps and fart like a boy but somehow still manages to be the girl everyone wants to hang out with.

      Josh

1. His dry sense of humor. He can make me laugh with one of his stupid jokes, even when I am bawling my eyes out.

2. The way he never takes anything too seriously. He lets everything just slide off his shoulder, but he still has a soft spot in his heart.

3. He is the kind of person you automatically feel comfortable with. I knew from the moment we met in 7th grade that we would be best friends. I can talk to him about anything in the world and I know he wouldn't see me any differently.

     Jamie

1. The way she randomly dances. Everywhere, any time of day, with or without music.

2. She doesn't care what people say or think about her. She is completely herself.

3.  How completely OBESSED she is with her favorite bands. She has signed posters and pictures covering her bedroom. All she posts on Facebook is tour dates and days until concerts and what the band members are doing. She even had her favorite member of her favorite band (Tony Perry from Peirce the Veil) on her 16th birthday cake. She ate his face.

Those are my best friends. They have been with my through up and downs in my life just like I have been there for them. I love them so much. I wouldn't trade them for anything.

Lazy Week..

This winter break was rather uneventful. I did not do much or go anywhere special. I mostly stuck around my house, either because my parents were working or they did not want to go anywhere. I spent almost everyday with my bestfriend Kayla. We layed in bed for hours. Occasionally we got up and watched TV or played a board game but that was very rare. On Christmas Eve I went to my boyfriend, Matthews house. We hung out around his house for a few hours until it was time to go to his grandmas house. We got to his grandmas, had dinner and sat around the dinner table and talked. It was great to actually be apart of one of their traditions. It made me feel like I was really apart of their family. Later that night we opened up presents. I gave Matt, his mom, stepdad, and 5 year old sister gifts.Of course they spoiled me by buying me too many things in return. It was nice to see his family again, they always make me feel welcome. The best part of that day was when I got Matt to play Barbies with me and his younger sister Bella. It makes me happy to see him care for her unlike most older brothers. I did not want to go home at the end of the day, mostly because I knew that I would just have to go home and sit there with nothing to do. I would have loved for it to be that amazing everyday of my winter break but I will take what I can get.