Appreciation for Small Towns

Photography taken by YoungQuick at Photobucket.com



Just like everyone from Holbrook I went down to the valley because we were released from school to support our boys’ basketball team. I was bursting with excitement to watch them play, go shopping, and of course enjoy the desert heat. As we made our way down the mountains I could see the cactus and I knew we were getting close. My grandpa told me I would see a lot of cars on the opposite side of the road, leaving the city. I thought to myself, that’s crazy, why would they be leaving? They have everything they could ever need right here. Not too long later we witnessed a huge traffic jam of vehicles going north out of Phoenix. It went on for miles and miles. Where would they all be going to?

                I arrived at the Jobing.Com Arena later that night, parking was a difficult challenge but I knew tons of people would be at the game that night. It was comforting to see members of our small community supporting our athletics.

                 The next morning was solely devoted to exploring the city. We drove from Glendale to Phoenix, Tempe, and Mesa. During the duration of the trip we went to 2 malls, and also the Tempe Marketplace. Every mall we went to was packed. Some malls are within a few miles of each other, so how do any of them make business? Not to forget hotels, and gas stations. They can be found on almost every block; are there really that many people down there? Where do all of these people come from?!

                The city is all about rushing, and going places, and doing things. I felt like I never had a minute to just relax within the chaos of traffic, long lines, and people everywhere you turn. I felt irritated and hurried most of the time.

                The city is a great place to spend a day or two at, but living in the valley is something I don’t think I would want anytime soon. I suddenly realized why all of those people stuck in the traffic jam Friday afternoon wanted to leave for the weekend. I was actually very happy to come back to the small 3 stoplight town of Holbrook tonight. Some people talk and talk about moving on to bigger and better things than our small town. As for me, no matter where I go or what I do, I know I will always have my hometowns, Greasewood and Holbrook, to come back to for relaxation, and comfort. 

Acting Childish

When did we make that change from not caring about what people think, to becoming embarrassed by doing something out of the ordinary? When we were little kids the sky was the limit. We had no boundaries, no worries, or concerns. We could break out dancing if we wanted to. I blame society. Apparently they want us to behave “appropriately” at some point in our lives.

                Last night we watched some home videos my grandpa and I made when I was younger. All we had to work with was a little pink and blue Barbie cam I had received for my birthday. We taped the most random things around the house. I remember I would hide the camera behind flowers or picture frames to see if I could get any funny footage. One day I took out my Barbie cam and CD player. I dressed up in the most ridiculous outfits I could find in my closet and taped a fashion show! The funniest part about it was strutting my stuff to the song, I’m Too Sexy by Right Said Fred.

                Watching the video of me making a fool out of myself didn’t make me embarrassed, but the opposite. I was happy to see a side of myself I thought I lost long ago. I can’t remember the last time I did something goofy without caring about people’s opinions. Can you?

This week I challenge you to go out and do something fun! Screw what society thinks of you! I know there is a child spirit within all of us, let yourself go and find it again!

Entrance Fee into Adulthood

Money has been on my mind lately. Is it true that life revolves around money? Or that the only way we can be happy is by having a lot of it? Or that money can’t buy us happiness? I don’t know what is true about money, but my mind can’t escape it.

This week was a week of money  for me. On Friday I opened my very first, all-mine college account at the bank. I paid my phone bill and soon it will be put in my own name. I made my enrollment deposit to my future college. And went car shopping.

There is so many things involving money lately I feel overwhelmed by it. I don’t know a thing about finances, interest rates, or PayPal, how will I know if I’m doing everything the right way? Not only do seniors have to worry about managing money properly, but also trying to receive money by little things called scholarships.

Scholarships are one of the most stressful things about senior year. So many applications and so little time. Deadline approach in a snap of a finger it seems like! Receiving scholarships or not can either make or break your next 4 years if you plan to go to college.

As you can see, I am a bit of a worrywart. A good friend of mine always tells me, why stress it? He is absolutely right. When my friends stress and worry I tell them that things are going to happen whether you worry or not so you should just relax. When I stress I have to purposely remind myself to let it go and listen to my own advice.

When looking at the most successful and richest people in the world, they had to confidently take chances with their investments knowing that it would all work out, and for most of them, it did. If they had that attitude as rookies, we should also follow it their footsteps:

Take risks

Have confidence

Dream Big

With this advice anything is possible.  

Senior Night

Senior: (in American schools, colleges, and universities) of or pertaining to students in their final year.

Friday was my last senior night. It was for drama. You may think, it’s not a sport, it’s just a club. But to me it was just as meaningful as my volleyball senior night. I have been involved in the club since my freshmen year. I was the only one in my class to be in drama all four years. I have been backstage, to Navajo Taco sales, and Thespian Festivals the most. I was thrilled to have more and more of my friends join. And I hoped they have enjoyed their time in the program as much as I have.

Senior night always make me sad. I try to look at them in a positive way, in an accomplished way, but my heart still becomes heavy. Am I ready to leave the drama program? Ready or not, I have made my last appearance on the stage. All I have left is the memories.

Maybe this is why I love photography as much as I do. A photograph retells a story. It gives us the ability to relive a special moment in time. It is simply a precise reminder.

I was very touched after our closing play when a fellow cast member approached me with a poster filled with pictures and clippings of all 8 plays I have been a part of. I cannot thank them enough for the work they put into my poster. To know the underclassmen cared about us enough to do something like that was getting to me. I could feel my eyes starting to water. Buckwalter was honoring me of all my hard work and dedication I have put in. For a second I zoned out and felt complete happiness.  

I was also presented with 8 yellow roses, which happen to be my favorite flower! Yellow roses symbolize friendship. And that is what I will take from by being in drama. Friends. I have created lifelong friends because of drama. Some of them had withered away through the years, but some, some will remain throughout my life. And whenever I come across this picture of my blossoming yellow senior night roses, I will look back on my experience with the HHS drama program, and remember how I have blossomed because of it.  

My moral behind these flowers is to make the best out of your experiences in high school. Have fun! Try something new, and don’t be afraid to make as many friends as you can. If you do, you might find yourself feeling full of accomplishment and happiness on your senior night, just as I had, with a smile on your face, and tears of joy in your eyes.