What makes (teenage) relationships complicated

So, lately I have observed a lot of teenage relationships, both break and form! I have helped friends through break-ups and also watched friends start-up fresh ones... But each time a romantic relationship is involved, it gets complicated. I imagine when you get older, into adulthood, its not much easier, but I am obviously not there yet, so I don't want to act like I know how older adults handle this stuff. I'm just talking about teenagers. Here is what I think makes them complicated.
Apart from the crazy hormone factor, which speaks for itself, there is a maturity factor. We teenagers are not fully developed, our maturity is not there yet. This is glaringly obvious when communication happens in the form of text or Facebook! When people rely on those to avoid face-to-face contact. Or when what I call a communication "chain" happens. Like when a guy A goes to girl C and tells her to tell girl B to tell boy D to tell boy F that he likes his cousin, who is girl A! It gets messy and complicated and often doesn't work. Yet it is common in the halls of high school. Its hard to have a good relationship with out some level of maturity!
Both genders also over anylize everything! Guys and girls are on such different pages! Teenage girls are hopelessly romantic! We are very attuned to relationships and romantic interest! Even if our chances of anything happening is zero. Even if its a relationship between two other people. We just like to watch it! I blame disney..... When we pin a guy we like, we read into every move our "romantic interest" takes! To the point of "OMG! He blinked! He must want to date me!" hahahaha
But teenage guys are not as into relationships as girls are. Don't get me wrong, guys are focused on girls almost 24/7! How girls look, how girls act, how girls move. They like girls.... But they aren't as focused on the relationship aspect as girls are. They may sit in class and look at their "romantic interest" and say "OMG she blinked! She totally wants me! I mean who doesn't!?"
Over analyzing also leads to Reality vs Expectations.... More often then not, when a romantic relationship starts each teen's expectation is higher than reality. Girls are picturing the perfect gentleman that her friends woo over, who opens doors and holds her hand, and pays for all the dates. Guys are picturing the perfect "10," that all his friends are jealous of, who plays video games with him, and who can have a sandwich eating contest with. Those bars are set pretty high! And reality is generally lower. You can be happy with reality if you throw out those crazy expectations! But most high schoolers quickly see their expectatiosn are to high, and since they arent't going to be met, they simply give up. They arent willing (and probably don't know how) to comprimise in a relationship. Which is crucial! Also, a lot of teens are in it for the "status" of a relationship, the cool factor of it all. Those NEVER go well....
But there are teenage relationships that work! I can count a handful in my high school that are just the cutest things ever! They seem to be defying the odds. Some have been together for 4 years or more! And thats no small feat for the crazy jungles of the high school hallways! For the most part, teenage relationships are complicated and short lived. But, I think thats the way they are suppose to be. We are still discovering ourselves! We are discovering what we like and what we don't. We are exploring what we want to do. I think part of that is discovering the type of people we want to date. Though its messy and complicated, sometimes overly dramatic, teenage relationships are just another life experience that we can learn from. Never regret or belittle teenage relationships. I wish more teens learned from them as I have!

Yes Ma'am

Working on a campaign has exposed me to many different people and situations I thought I would never face! Some situations are awkward, like when you have to drive an elderly volunteer to an event, and on the way she tells you you are going the wrong way the entire 1 1/2 hours you are driving, (I was right... BTW) Other situations are awesome. Like when you get to rub elbows with all the senators or judges at political events! But Today is an incidence that left me in a situation I've never been in before.

I was called Ma'am twice! Both times by women in her mid-fifties!

You see, as part of my intern job I call voters and ask them if they are going to vote for my candidate. (yes... I'm that unfortunate person who calls your house with a political question.....they aren't all robo-calls)
But today has been particularly weird in that I got called Ma'am twice! In the past I've been called Little Miss, Sweet Heart, Young Lady, Missy, and even Princess! But I expect those! I know I sound like a little girl on the phone, I sound young! I use it to my advantage sometimes. So why was I called Ma'am today?! Do they know I am a shorter-than-average teenage girl who is young enough to be their granddaughter! If anything I should be addressing them as Ma'am!
It was just kinda awkward. I paused for a quick second after they said it too... trying to process what they said. Cause I thought I heard them wrong. But, since it wasn't awkward for them, I guess the right word would be uncomfortable... cause it was only me who felt out of place.
Have I reached Ma'am status? I feel like I haven't... I feel like you have to live through some stuff, get married, maybe have a respectable job and/or position to be called Ma'am! I feel like you have to have at least ONE wrinkle line or grey hair! Or just be of the female gender having a conversation with Forrest Gump! That works too...
Of which I have experienced none of those scenarios!
So thats my little freckle of the day! Hope you enjoyed!
-Samantha

P.S. with in the time I have written this, I got called Ma'am a third time!!!! What the heck!

Charter Schools

Charter schools are a very controversial topic. They are a complicated subject, and one that has confused me this entire election season. Seeing that our state (Washington) is one of the few states left to approve charter schools. I have to come to an informed opinion on the issue. It's the only thing left on my ballot I haven't filled in. I'm not going to explain what charter schools are, if you don't exactly know.... Google is a thing...... Google is all knowing. :)
After weeks of reading both sides, and trying to rationalize my persuadable opinion, here is what I came up with. The foundation/idea is there, but the system is faulty. The ones who support it are simply crying out for reform. They see the where the kids are falling through, they see the budget problems in corrupt school districts, and they see the disadvantage of districts based on where kids live (especially Harlem and the Bronx). And I'm with them, as a student who has been pushed through various math programs and teachers with very little success! I get what they are saying. But charter schools won't solve all those problems. They are a good idea in theory. But they serve only a small fraction of state's students. And they take state and federal money (like any other public school) to service those kids! If it were just that factor it wouldn't be so bad, but then you get down to how the school is run, and you find that they would create a new state agency called the "Washington charter school commission" to authorize charter schools through out the state, supervise it, and manage it. Cause we need more government agencies.......(NOT)
But I could put all that behind me, bite my tongue and do it, if it meant the disadvantaged, learning disabled, and struggling children could get a better alternative education. Oh! Wait! You mean its not guaranteed to those kids?! That's right, by law charter schools have to use a lottery system! So even if I wanted to go to a charter school cause I was struggling in the conventional public school system, there is no guarantee I would. My hopes of a charter school education lay in hands of a plastic ball rolling around in a cage. Many learning disability children see charter schools as an opportunity to get out of the pressures of public schools. But, in fact, on top of the lottery factor, most charter schools don't have the right facilities and programs to help such children. They simply don't have to, by any law, the way a public school does. So the kids get sent right back to public school. I have read numerous stories about that, and some try to have the programs, but most don't put in the effort..... And I have yet to find a reliable study that proves charter schools have a good success rate. Not saying they all fail. There are some that succeed, and some that fail. But most just flat line. They don't do any better than public schools and they don't do any worse. So why would I want to put public education funds into something that hasn't shown to improve education and something that doesn't guarantee a students admission. Why don't we put that passion people have for reform and that money they would pay in charter school tuition and put it towards the failing public education!? Where everybody is admitted, and all the programs are there, where every kid can succeed if we really were serious about reform. I agree parts of the education system are broken, but abandoning it isn't a good solution.
I don't have all the answers, I don't know everything. And I totally see why people are for it, I respect them. I really do.... I want them to get the reform they are seeking, I just disagree with the way they want to go about that reform. I value every point of view on this issue, and have thoroughly poured over all of them for weeks!
Freedom of democracy and choice is so amazing! Every opinion matters and everyone's voice can be heard on any issue! Just like mine will be heard on this issue today when I turn in my ballot.

P.S. I know I didn't hit on every little detail of charter school issues, so I encourage you to check them out for yourself! And I promise the next post won't be so "heavy", I will make it a light and funny one!

Thanks- Samantha

Story Problems

OK.... Anyone that knows me can tell you I don't like math, I fully accept that notion. I am not good at it, I have had numerous tutors, teachers, and friends help me with it. And even a clinical psychologist! I can barely scrape by! But thats beyond the point of this post. The point of this post is the unit we are doing in my math class..... Linear Programming. (aka-story problems) A lot of things in math bother me. I often sit there and wonder how I am EVER going to use this in everyday life! And that question often has no real answer at the end either. But story problems just get on my last nerve! They are the biggest waste of my time!
"I'm so glad I spent an hour and a half solving hypothetical financial manufacturing problems!" - Said nobody ever.....
Here is an example of a problem I had to do: "The Future Homemakers Club (could they think of a worst hypothetical organization?) is making canvas tote bags and leather tote bags for a money making project. Both types of tote bags will be lined with canvas and have leather handles. For the canvas tote bags, they need 4 yards of canvas and 1 yard of leather. For the leather tote bags, they need 3 yards of leather and 2 yards of canvas. Their advisor has purchased 56 yards of leather and 104 yards of canvas. Determine the number of canvas bags at a profit of $20 each and the leather bags $35 each, write a function for the total profit of the bags."
My response: WHO FREAKING CARES!?!?!?!
There is no practical application to doing this busy work! Nobody does this in real life! I feel like I could be so much more productive! I have a long to-do list (college apps, work, church, chores, clubs, college class, ect...)  and its on hold because the Future Homemakers Club can't figure out their own problems! I have challenged every math teacher on this subject. I flat out ask why we are doing this, I ask them what the point is, and how we are ever going to use this! And the reaction is always the same. Their bodies slouch a little, their mouths crook in a stumped manner, and I can see it in their eyes.... they are caught! Their brain frantically searches for an answer, and when they finally speak, they say "it teaches you to problem solve."
I can think of 100,000 other ways to teach someone to problem solve without using bull-crap hypothetical mathematical problems. Whenever I hear a teacher give that answer, I hear "there really isn't, its just busy work." Not all math is busy work, but story problems are. I learn to problem solve at work, when I'm dealing with multiple volunteers that come in all at once, and need to be trained by me and coached on the process of phone banking. I deal with problem solving when talking to voters and their political issues. I deal with problem solving at church working with preschoolers on any given sunday. I deal with problem solving when 5 different people in my house have 5 different schedules and need to go 5 different places. I deal with money problem solving when budgeting my shopping trips and cupcake runs :) But to say that doing these math problems teaches you to problem solve is just not true.... I've also heard it teaches you to work through something you don't want to do.... which is true, but I don't need math to do that for me. I have dentist appointments, chores, and getting shots to do that for me! If math taught me practical applications to my life, I think I would be way more inclined to learn. But I just will never need to find the area and circumference of a lake, or the function for the profit made from selling tote bags....
I'll leave you with this little beauty:

Little Traditions

I just attended my last home football game of my high school career. I stood in what is fondly known as the trench, wore camo pants, and froze my butt off! I stood in between two of my best friends, we clapped, yelled, cheered, and danced like nobody was watching to the band music and cheerleaders. During the 3rd quarter, when the rain was pouring down, and some wind picked up, my hands and feet were numb. I wanted to go inside and become warm and dry. And this is not the first time I have felt this urge at a football game. I've had that cold prolonged bored feeling numerous times over 4 years. But this time a bigger part of me wanted to stay standing shoulder to shoulder with my friends in the cold watching our team lose. We have waited 4 years to stand in that very spot. It is a tradition for seniors to stand in the front row, wearing ridiculous school spirit outfits, to lead the student section in cheers, and stand there the entire game, no matter what! Such traditions are sacred in high school, tonight it was really bitter sweet. We have a LOT of high school traditions in general! Seniors wear togas during spirit week, and senior curtesy at assemblies! And each group has their own traditions too! Like after every football game my friends and I go get blizzards and french fries at Dairy Queen! It is a must! We sit there until late at night just talking and enjoying each others company. A lot of these traditions we work our way up to, we earn the right to do. But now that some of these traditions are being fulfilled, its rather bitter sweet. And now cherished traditions like football game trenches are in  our PAST. It feels so surreal. I know I still have lots of traditions to look forward to through out the year and beyond, thats super exciting. It keeps me optimistic. But its when the little traditions like standing in the trenches surrounded by friends, eating warm french fries afterwards, start to end, thats when most of us value the experiences, and taste that bitter sweetness. I definitely felt that tonight. And I'm going to strive to notice more of the little traditions when they are happening, the ones that will be what bring a smile to my face later on in life. I think we all should.

Parking Meters

So today, I was downtown on two separate occasions. I've gotten pretty aquatinted with the parking process downtown, so when I pulled up to a spot this morning I was excited to see they installed updated parking meters! They looked pretty fancy! I got up to the meter to put my coins in and noticed a problem. The screen on the meters is now facing upwards higher than my vantage point can see, then directly below it is a card slot, then a coin slot. I inserted my coins, but the screen is facing upwards. I can not see the screen! It is no longer around eye level. And not only did I have to stand on my tippy-toes to get to the point of reading the screen, I had to wipe off the rain off the screen to be able to see it! It is tilted in such a way that when it rains, the water just sits on the screen instead of being able to trickle down like the old kind. These new parking meters are challenging for anyone around 5 feet to see and could be more conducive to washington-type weather! The older parking meters were way better about that! You could read them at any height, and the rain would just trickle down it so it was always clear! I want to know why we took a step backwards here Olympia!? And why was I not consulted!?
#shortpeopleproblems

College Tour Decoder

Having been on my fair share of college campus tours, of both the private and publics schools, and both in orientation style and personal one-one-one. I feel I have mastered the art of decoding what the tour guides say to what they really mean. I will share with you a few of the most common!
1. "We have a nationally ranked --insert program here--" Of course you have something nationally ranked! If you are a college anywhere in the nation, you are automatically ranked in categories with all the other schools in the nation! Notice they never say specifically where they are ranked! It just sounds impressive to be nationally ranked.
2. "We have a top ranking --insert program here--" Still not specifying where in the top, the top could be any number of schools are in the mix with this one you are looking at....
3. "Our students get unparalleled one-on-one time with staff" This statement is meant to imply that students have access to professors like no other, but staff really also includes T.A.s (which teach lectures in some of the bigger schools), R.A.s, and any staff member at any sort of reception desk. So this statement is very misleading.... Though its great to have access to T.A.s and R.A.s a lot too, its just not what it sounds like to the perspective student.
4. "We have a really good football team"...... Cause thats why we're all coming here, thats the deciding factor.... your football team.
5. "I walk around campus and always see a friendly face! Everyone is so friendly!" They always say as we pass numerous students staring at us, with some questionable looks, like they've never seen a mass group of high schoolers before. Or when the tour guide waves (to demonstrate how friendly everyone is) and they give a totally weirded out look and frightfully wave back. Thats always a personal favorite.
6. "This residence hall is our most historic" Its the schools oldest and most outdated building.... No getting around it.
7. "The residence halls are all pretty much the same" NOT! The one built 100 years ago, and renovated 40 years ago, vs. the one built two years ago, are VERY different! I don't care what you say!

Prospective college goers I urge you, like myself, to be cautious of how tour guides say things! Ask lots of clarifying questions! And keep this list in mind!
-Samantha

Autumn

Its becoming more and more autumn-ish all week! The sights, the smells, and the sounds of fall are something i simply LOVE! Fall colors.... great for clothes, great for nature! Its a win-win! I love the colors of all the trees! Vibrant reds, and greens, and yellows, I think God was just showing off during this season. My neighborhood is surrounded by a greenbelt, so this season is especially pretty around here! I like to go for runs down by Tumwater Falls, and this gorgeous color all around is more running motivation. When you walk by the river, you see the reflection of the trees colors in the water! Its just so beautiful!  Also while on my runs, there is something I notice about the air! It has a crisp feeling to it! You can feel it swirl into your lungs with every breath! Though, my fingers don't like the air very much, but they manage :) I love the leaves on the ground too. Especially this past week, they were like a hollywood movie, or like a blustery day in the hundred acre woods! They blow everywhere and swirl around, its so fun! Nothing else carries in the wind so easily, except maybe snowflakes, (which is a whole other love-fest post) I especially like it when a car drives over a road covered in leaves, and they all jump and swirl after it passes! And who's favorite childhood past time isn't jumping into a GIANT pile of leaves!? Let's be honest..... And autumn means pumpkins..... everywhere. In our cooking, in our decor, and even in our clothing! It actually amazes me how much you see pumpkin references in fall! All the coffee stands have specialty pumpkin spice drinks (which I adore!) and seasonal clothing comes out with pumpkins on kids clothes! (and sometimes adult clothes....) But my favorite thing about pumpkins is jack-o-lanters. How often are you going to be encouraged to take an oversized obnoxious colored squash and cut out its insides, carve a face in the side of it, and display in outside your living space.... I mean any other season you did that would result in a few questions and many strange looks from lots of people.... But not in fall!
So yah, thats why I love autumn.
I'll leave you with a pooh bear quote: "It's the first day of autumn! A time of hot chocolatety mornings, and toasty marshmallow evenings, and best of all, leaping into leaves!" - Pooh Bear

Fruit Snacks

I have a love/hate relationship with fruit snacks.
They are deceptive little chewy delights. They make you feel like you are making a healthy alternative decision! When I go to my snack shelf and see salty chips, nutty bars, popcorn, and fruit snacks, among other things, I kind of think they are the happy medium between healthy fruit and a sweet snack. But if you look closely at the content of fruit snacks.... They are just not so distant cousins to gummy bears......
The little bags themselves look and feel full, and then you open them, and the bag is only half full! (a lot like some other crunchy snack food I know of..... hmmmm) My favorite flavors of these chewy bite sized snacks are strawberry and apple. So when I finally decide to consume a package of these not-so-healthy-after-all gummy snacks, I expect to enjoy my favorite flavors. So, you can understand my further frustration with these snacks when more than half the package I have to eat is the cherry shaped gross ones that taste like medicine, and the gross orange flavored ones (which I just personally don't like, I'm acknowledge I'm in the minority there).
Yet, I love the texture, the taste, and the idea of fruit snacks! They are so fun! They make me feel like a lucky kindergardener getting a treat! They are fun colors, shapes, and sizes. In a class I took last year the teacher used to give us treats on fridays, he set out various candies and crackers and fruit snack packages. And guess what was the most popular snack taken? Yep.... fruit snacks. Always the first ones gone! Plus, I've never found a brand of fruit snack I have completely hated. Don't get me wrong, they all have their own unique gross flavors. But I've never found an entire package I don't like.
So, am I alone in my love/hate relationship with fruit snacks? What foods do you have a love/hate relationship with? I'm going to go eat fruit snacks now!

Ode To Skinny Ties

What is it about a man in a skinny tie!? It drives girls crazy, and I am no exception! Neck Ties usually bother me in general. I mean who sat around a long time ago and said "hey, I have a good idea! Lets make a thin piece of fabric and tie it around our neck, a vital part of our body that connects out brain to the rest of our body! It will be fun guys?" And after that, who went along with it!? But these skinny ties have shown me the light. I can't explain how or why, but a guy in a nice skinny tie and a well tailored suit does to a girl what a bikini does to a guy! Some theories I have are that the tie takes up less of the focal point of the outfit, leaving more of the guys chest as part of the outfit. Which would have the same draw to girls as a low cut v-neck on a girl has on a guy. Or its that it is considered "younger" and "youthful" and can be easily transitioned from formal wear to casual. But most of all I think its a combo of the first theory and the fact that a nice skinny tie means a guy put thought into his style, a thing not many guys do these days. He put effort into choosing a chic and modern tie. And the idea that a guy put effort into his outfit at all is super attractive to girls!
Just a fun side note, Mr. Reynalds up top here won my skinny tie competition, but Joseph Gordon Levitt, Channing Tatum, and Zac Effron were all close skinny tie competitors! I highly recommend you google these men with skinny ties!