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Solitude provides inner peace for the mind
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“She was happy. She lived for herself and enjoyed her own company. They called it loneliness, she knew it was freedom.” My thumb lingered over the quote on my carefully-crafted pinterest feed, not quite sure if I had read it correctly. Having seen one too many dystopian movies, I am never hesitant to admit…
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Dark humor fails to excuse racism
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I have often been labeled as “too sensitive” to the jokes my peers make, so I tend to keep my mouth shut when I am frustrated with what they have to say. But when an acquaintance looked me dead in the eye to tell me that he hates Black people, then paused and giggled…
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High school is the killer of self-expression
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As a high schooler, I can confidently say that we are in our most insecure and self-conscious ages, but simultaneously at the age where everyone is trying to figure out who they are. The process of discovering yourself and who you are as a person is not linear, and everyone has their ups and…
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Some sequels are not created equal
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There are plenty of movies that deserve to have a sequel to their story, but there are also many where a continuation is just pointless. For years, movie franchises have produced parts two, three, four, etc, and the majority have not reached the same fame as the original. I enjoy a new idea with…
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Reading for enjoyment is dying
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Whenever I tell someone I read for pleasure they are genuinely shocked. I read over 12 books a year, which is not a lot, but most people are surprised that someone my age has the time and enjoys reading. There are many reasons why people dislike reading, one of the most prominent being that…
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Project Pan should be the expectation
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Since the new year, a trend called “Project Pan” has become popular on “TikTok.” Project Pan is a challenge to use up all of the beauty and hygiene products that one currently has before buying anything new. At the end of each month, content creators show their favorite products that they finished and would…
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Slowing down is not a crime
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It was a windy January evening, and as I drove home, adhering to the same rules as four-way stops since the traffic lights were shut down, I paused. This must mean that the power at my house had gone out. For a moment, I panicked. I proceeded to walk into my home and noticed…
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Sometimes, all you need is laughter
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“Laughter is a pleasant physical reaction and emotion consisting usually of rhythmical, usually audible contractions of the diaphragm and other parts of the respiratory system,” according to Wikipedia. For me, laughter is the medicine that heals the soul and clears my mind. Throughout our lives, we all face scenarios that make us feel helpless,…
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History warned us about mass deportations
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In 1943, Anne Frank wrote that “terrible things are happening outside… poor helpless people are being dragged out of their homes. Families are torn apart; men, women and children are separated. Children come home from school to find that their parents have disappeared,” in her diary, “The Diary of a Young Girl.” These same…
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Facing adversity growing up queer
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I have faced adversity throughout my whole life, from the first time I cut my hair into “boy style” to now with my hair still short and identifying as an openly gay person. When people would walk into the girls’ bathroom and tell me to leave, my 8-year-old self would say, “I am a…