The Boy with No Tattoos

     If you know me to any extent or you've seen me tweet about them, you know that I want tattoos. Two of them. But because you know me, you also know that I'm not allowed to get them...yet. My dad, who has supported me through everything and in any way he can, including financially, and is supporting me through college via money when he can and letting me drive his car while I am away at school, believes that Christians should not get tattoos [Leviticus 19:28b - "...nor tattoo any marks on you: I am the Lord."]. Because of this belief, I am not allowed to get one until I can fully support myself financially (including transportation). As his son, whether I agree or not, I have to respect that. And I do. To say that I've had the chance to get a tattoo would be an understatement. I've had MULTIPLE chances, including an offer to get one for free. As difficult as it is, I am respecting my dad's wishes (now, if he were to change his mind, that'd be great!). After all he has done for me and is continuing to do, I can abide by this one rule.

      But the purpose of me blogging tonight is not to tell you about my dad's beliefs and such. I wanted to write about my feelings about tattoos, which tattoos I want, and why I want them.

     I am a big fan of tattoos...to an extent. I believe that something permanent on your body should have significance. I know people get random tattoos all the time, but I say what's the point? I really don't mean to offend anyone who has done that, that's just how I feel about random tattoos. A tattoo should have significance to you, and it should be something that a person has thought about it for a long, long time.

     A friend who has a tattoo or two (I can't remember) told me her process for getting the ink. She designs what she wants on paper and puts it somewhere she'll see it everyday. After what I think is 6 months, if she looks at it everyday and STILL wants it, then she gets it. I think that's awesome. Something permanent on your body should be something you've thought about extensively.

     That being said, I have thought about what tattoos I want, and why I want them. So far, there are two tattoos that I know I am getting someday.

     The first is ἀγάπη. It is "agape" in the Classical Greek. The word 'agape' is one of the Greek words translated into English as love. It is the love that God has for us as humans, as well as the reciprocation of love by humankind to God. It is the strongest form of love. Of the 4 forms of love translated into English from Greek (agape, eros, philia, storge), I picked this one because it is the love that means the most to me. I am constantly in a state of being blown away at the unconditional love that the Father has for me. It's honestly one of the most amazing things about my faith. I love that, despite everything I have done, I am still loved by my Heavenly Father. I think Relient K said it best in their song "I Am Understood": "You're the only one who knows me yet still loves completely." I love this song, but specifically this part (I actually blogged about this song awhile back. You can read my interpretation here!).

     Also having to do with why I want it is WHERE I'm getting it, which is on my left wrist. [I know, I know, wrist tattoos should be a no-no for anyone who ever wants a "corporate" job, or, for me, a teaching job. I've heard the speech MANY times from MANY people, including family members who have tattoos. You'd be crazy to think I hadn't thought about that aspect as well. I have thought about it, and quite a bit at that. I know it means long-sleeves at work everyday or a big watch that will cover it up. I am ok with either of those options. I want the tattoo on my left wrist, and that's where I am getting it. End of story.] To Write Love on Her Arms is an organization that is near and dear to my heart for a number of reasons. This is their mission statement (obtained from their website): To Write Love on Her Arms is a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide. TWLOHA exists to encourage, inform, inspire and also to invest directly into treatment and recovery." The things they they help treat (depression, addiction, self-injury, and suicide) hit close to home, I love this organization and what they stand for. I want LOVE written permanently written on my arm to serve as a reminder to myself and to others about the unconditional love the Father has for each one of us, and that no one should ever have to struggle with those things.

     So that's the first tattoo I want, and all the factors going into my decision to get it. I hope that even if you're one of those naysayers regarding the location I want it, you can at least respect why I want it there.

     The second tattoo is the middle part of Philippians 1:21, which says, "To live is Christ." This is definitely one of those verses I would consider a "life verse." If you've spent any time in a church or just studying the New Testament, you are probably familiar with the entire verse, "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain." I myself have heard it many, many times, but the meaning did not really hit me until about two years ago. It was a Wednesday night, and I was at church. There was a guest speaker in youth that night, and he spoke on this verse in a way that I had never heard. He really focused in on the "to live is Christ" part, making me really think about the words. He said, "'To live is Christ.' That doesn't say to live includes Christ." That really stuck out to me. As Christians, we are called to live our lives as Christ followers, striving to be more like Him everyday. In life, we should not include Christ in the things we do. Christ should be the center and the focus of everything we do. I think that in this verse, Paul is talking about how Christ lives inside of him and guides his daily path and gives him the power to live the life he was called to live. This is the life that every Christian should strive to live, and I want to strive to live like this. This verse means a lot to me, and I want to represent that importance through tattoo. With that being said, I'm not going to tattoo every verse that means a lot to me, but this one I am. For this one, I haven't decided exactly where I want it, but I will probably get it on my chest, right above where a pocket would be on a shirt.

     While I know what I want and such, I don't have actual pictures of them anymore. They were both saved on my computer back home, but it crashed awhile ago and I lost them. As soon as I get them on paper again,  I will be sure to post them on my blog!

     If you've stuck with me until now, thank you. This is obviously something that means a lot to me, and I wanted to share it with you, so thank you for reading it. If you have any comments about this post or about tattoos in general, or if you have a tattoo and want to tell me about it, feel free to use the comment box at the bottom of this post! I would love to hear about your ink!



Thanks again,
Cameron

The Ramblings of a Man Who is Unable to Sleep

Like the title suggests, there really isn't a point to this post. It might just be ramblings about things you do not care about, but I do know that I am going to talk about Teen Wolf. We will just see where it goes from there!

I think I should start with the obvious: I SAW MYSELF ON TV TONIGHT! For most people, this is probably nothing, but I think that it is really cool, so it is kind of a big deal to me. The episode ended at 11pm, and here it is 4:30am and I am still riding the high. That's some kind of high right there if you ask me.

I knew this day would eventually get here ever since I was on set the day that episode was filmed, back in February. I have had 4 months to prepare for it. But I wasn't ready.

HAVE YOU EVER SEEN YOURSELF ON TV?!

I mean, back in February, I was an extra. Talk about Cloud 9! I actually blogged about my first experience as an extra (You can read about that experience here! Extra! Extra! Read All About It!). The episode that aired tonight was filmed the week after that. I can't believe that I did not blog about this experience! It was SO MUCH BETTER! I was, as you can see from the picture below, SO CLOSE to the two main characters! I WISH I could have talked to them (I actually did say a few words to Crystal [Allison, the main girl] when she first came into the classroom and sat down)! I do have to say that I did get to talk to Mama Argent (Eaddy Mays), though. She's SO cool and down to Earth.

Yes, that's me!

In case you were wondering what I was writing/looking at, here is the notebook I was given to use as a prop for the scene. We were told to take notes. You probably can't read it, but it is what was written on the board. I just started copying it, and that's how far I got. Apparently, this scene was filmed on Wednesday.

I think that, if I was a professional TV actor, I would take some time to talk to those extras that knew and followed the show and actually wanted to talk to me. It might actually make their day as it would have mine as an extra if one of the main characters talked to me.

But anyway, back to the extra thing. As you can see, I was chosen to sit right behind Crystal Reed! So cool! Then Tyler Posey came into the room and sat really close to me. I could have talked to them if we had had like a 5 minute break to just sit there and chill haha, provided they actually wanted to talk to me. There are scenes that we filmed that either were not used for other reasons or that will be in future episodes, so that'd be really cool to see myself again :) But really, don't hold your breath. I had my time on screen, and that was totally awesome.

I think I put these actors and actresses on a pedestal. I know they are just normal people like me, but at the same time, they aren't. They are on TV every week like it's no big deal. We expect to see them there. They have tons of followers on Twitter, and people tweet them ALL the time. There's something different about them that makes them not "normal humans." So yea, I put them on a pedestal, and I am ok with that. I bet they'd all disagree, that they really are like normal people just like you and I are, but I think I would have to disagree. Normal people don't have upwards of 10,000 followers on Twitter. Normal people don't appear on a hit TV show every Monday for 12 (or 24) weeks. So while they are just like you and I, they are celebrities, so they aren't.

I think (I do a lot of that, especially late at night) that I have figured out the whole purpose behind that last paragraph. I put them on a pedestal because they have what I feel like a lot of people want, what I want. Honestly, I was eating up all the attention on Facebook and Twitter tonight. No lie. I loved it. This is going to sound really vain and shallow, but I liked the attention. Eyes were on me tonight, and I liked it. It was just a small, a very small, bit of what the actors/actresses go through a lot I bet. I want that. That'd be so cool. To have total strangers approach me and say, "Hey, aren't you the guy on [insert name of TV show here]?" I think that'd be so cool. I have had this itch, this dream, to go West, to LA, for awhile, before I have to come back to reality and settle down with a job and whatnot. How cool would it be to go to LA, somehow get an audition for something, and it lead to something else, something big? That would be amazing. I think I would put teaching on hold for a few years to do that. I think.

(I am desperately trying to not begin each paragraph with "I think," but that's really what this post is, just me thinking) I think that I want those things: the fame, the attention, etc., because I have a fear of living a useless life. (Not that NOT being "famous" would be a useless life, because that's not what I am saying at all, but that having the fame would be a surefire way to have a "useful" life.) To know that people, a lot of people, were affected by me being here on this Earth. I think that is one of the main reasons I want to be a teacher. I want to impact lives. I would hate to live my life knowing that I didn't impact anyone. That would totally suck. I know that teachers impact people, because I have been impacted by several teachers, but I am just scared that I won't find the same satisfaction in the impact teachers make that I think actors make.

Even if it's just one film, or one TV show that only gets a few episodes before getting cancelled due to unforeseen reasons, I still want it. I hear that people sometimes start out as extras, become stand-ins, get a line or two, and BAM! they are "discovered" and whisked off to some big TV/movie set where they have major screen time and tons of lines. That would be awesome.

If you have read all of this, thank you. I realize that I rambled, but I did give a fair warning. I went from being a superficial extra, to a real guy who actually had something deep to say in this post. I'll call this a successful post, but I might be just a little biased ;)

What do you think? The comment box is just below this, what else are you waiting for?



Cameron

Where did the time go??

The question came to me just a little while ago, right after I finished explaining to my aunt what was going on in my life as far as college is concerned. Two more years left. Four more semesters. 12 actual classes, TOSS, then Student Teaching. After that, graduation. Then the real world hits.

Where did the time go??

This past week, two of my really good friends got engaged (congrats, Ben and Lizzie!). I felt like I was not old enough to know people my age that were getting engaged, but then I realized that I am 20, going on 21, and that it is almost that time (it IS that time for people who have been dating for almost 4 years :]). Every time I talk with people about the future, when I see myself getting married and whatnot, I always say I want to be engaged/married by the time I am 24 or 25. That's not too far off for me. I will be 21 two months from Wednesday. I am too old to be 21 years old! My parents got married the year my mom turned 21 and right before my dad turned 23. I can't be that age already! I realize that times were different 27 years ago, and people are now getting married later in their 20s, but in a little over a year, I will be the age my dad was when he got engaged and married. So crazy!

Where did the time go??

I have a hard time realizing that I moved to Kennesaw for college 2 years ago. It seems like just yesterday that I walked into Columbus High school for the first time as a 14 year old freshman. But that was almost 7 years ago. I can still vividly remember my first days at Gorman Christian Academy in the 5th grade, attending the soccer team's practice (at the request of the coach) and making the team right after practice...on my birthday. But those days have been gone for almost 10 years.

Where did the time go??

Two years from now, I will be in the process of finding a teaching job or setting up my classroom. Two-three years from now, if things play out like I want them to (haha, right?), I will be planning a wedding/getting married. How crazy is that?! Just 2 years! High school is 4 years, and that seemed to FLY by. I have been in college for 2 years, and these years definitely flew by.

I am in NO rush to grow up, that is for sure (my cousin's 5 year old son told me today that I was a "grown up", and I told him I didn't want to be grown up! haha), but I think I am just finally realizing where I am in life, and all the things that I have to look forward to in the next five years.


But so much for future thinking. Currently, I have an online midterm due by noon and a midterm paper due by Tuesday night. Time to come back to 2012 and tackle these assignments.

Thanks for reading!

Cameron

On the Brink

     Recently I have been thinking about my life and how much it has changed. Not only since coming to college, but also just in the past few months. I am a junior in college now (that still sounds so weird/scary to me), and, while I am still an RA on campus, I have moved to a different community than the Suites, where I had lived for the past 2 years at Kennesaw State. I live in the University Village now, a mixed community with apartment style dorms. For the first time ever, I have a full-size kitchen, a living room, and laundry room, all in my apartment that I can call mine. It is not my parent's apartment, it is my apartment. While it is still on campus, I feel like I grew up a bit when this happened. I have the ability (and the talent, I might add) to cook an actual dinner on the stove/in the oven, and that has been awesome. I can do laundry whenever I feel like it, but I do not have to pay for it.

     Because of this change, this growing up that I have recently experienced, I believe I am on the brink of something completely new and different. I have come to the realization that I have a choice: I can rise to the occasion and be great, or I can fall back and merely coast through it.

     The first is my Christian walk. I will be completely honest in saying that I have been rocky. Reading my Bible and having that daily time with God has not been on my list of top priorities like I know it should be. Living out the Christian walk like I know I was raised to do has not been my lifestyle lately. Andy Stanley did a 4-part sermon series entitled, "The New Rules for Love, Sex, and Dating", that I watched on line some time ago, but recently has crept back up into my thoughts. (If you haven't watched the series, I strongly recommend it. Here's the link! The New Rules for Love, Sex, and Dating.) One thing he said in particular has stuck with me ever since the first time I watched it. He said, "Are you the type of person that the person you're looking for is looking for?" I had never thought about that before. I know what type of girl I am looking for to eventually marry, but have I been the type of guy she is looking for? The answer: probably not. I want to be the type of man that a good, Christian woman wants to marry. I want to enter into a marriage where not only is our love for each other evident, but also our love for God. That is why I recognized that I needed to make changes to the way I have been living. If I truly want what I say I want, then I have to do whatever it takes to get that. I am by no means saying that I want to be married in the next year, or even in the next 2 or 3 years. I am, however, saying that I need to lay the foundation for that now. I am only 20 years old, but in 2 short years I will be a 22 yr. old college graduate, and I (hopefully) foresee getting married following that not too far behind.

     The next area where I see a big "occasion" on the rise is in my studies. This sort of thinking came about because I am taking 3 classes this summer, and have already lost my motivation to actually do work for those classes. A good friend of mine, after telling her I had no motivation, told me that I just had to push through the classes and do well, or else I would look back and feel like I wasted the summer. I cannot stop time from continuing. I cannot stop the deadlines, tests, and papers from coming, so the thing I need to do now is just push through and do what I need to do. She was right, my friend. If I waste this summer, I am going to be so mad at myself. I will start the fall semester with the regret of having done poorly this summer, and I do not want that. So here's to finding the motivation to do what I need to do, when I need to do it.

     I am not writing this for the public eye, although it is public for anyone who wants to read. I am writing this because I have always felt that once something is in writing and out in public, it is more official, more permanent, more real. I am hoping that by this, I am solidifying my want to be great.

Go Mavericks!

As you may or may not know, I am a History Education major. As part of my requirements for graduation, I am required to take Education 2110. As part of that class, 15 hours of Field Experience in a school. During Field Experience, I was placed in a school to observe a teacher in his or her classroom, to get a feel for what being a teacher would be like.

Because of my Education 2110 professor, I decided to sign up for a middle school. My major is focused on high school teaching, but my professor encouraged me to do my FE in a middle school, just to see what it was like, as well as to see what the students were experiencing before they got to high school.

To be honest, I was a bit hesitant at first, having decided that I did not want to teach middle school at all. I remember what it was like to be in middle school, and I did not want to teach middle school students.

After doing some research, I signed up for McClure Middle School, home of the Mavericks. I was placed with Ms. Angie Fenton, the Advanced Content 7th Grade Social Studies teacher. I know that it was definitely because of God that I was placed where I was.

Going into the classroom that first day, I was nervous. I did not know if the students would like me, if I would mess anything up, if I would say/do something that was wrong, etc. I introduced myself to Ms. Fenton's classes, and I felt good. Each of the classes seemed very-well behaved, and I knew this was no typical middle school classroom.

Ms. Fenton wanted me to go into TOSS and Student Teaching with some experience in front of a classroom, so every so often, she allowed me to instruct the class on the activity for the day. It was really cool to get a feel for being a teacher. I am beyond grateful for being placed with such a great teacher.

I soon became accustomed to being a part of the class. I loved my Tuesdays and Thursdays when I would get to spend a few hours with the students. They liked me enough, and would applaud and cheer when I came into the room.

Having gone through 30 hours of Field Experience, I can say that the 7th Graders of Ms. Fenton's Advanced Content Social Studies class has opened my eyes and mind to the wonderful world of middle school. Having once been against middle school completely, I would gladly accept a teaching job at a middle school, and I have Ms. Fenton as well as her students to thank for that. All 4 of her classes that I observed were full of well-behaved, smart students who surprised me each time I visited.

This first look at being a teacher was so great, and I cannot wait to get back into a school to do more observations/teaching.

I was made for this.

A Letter to You

Hi there.

I thought of you today...or rather, the other day.

I was in an old antique shop in Marietta. I needed an afternoon to myself, so I drove down to The Square for some time to unwind and just be me. Who would've thought I would be greeted by the memory of an old friend.

I actually walked into the shop sort of by accident. I was just wandering aimlessly around The Square, trying to soak up every bit of sunshine that I could, no longer able to sit and read on a park bench. I crossed the street and just kept walking away from The Square. All of the sudden I noticed the most odd figurines I have ever seen and saw by the A-frame sign that the figurines were in the window of an old antique shop. I'll be honest. I was getting a bit chilly, having worn shorts and a t-shirt with my Toms, leaving my jacket in the car. A breeze had been blowing for some time, and wanting to get indoors, I entered the antique shop.

Walking around the shop was nice. Even though everything there was made and outdated by the time I was born, it was a nice perspective on life before my time that I couldn't get from any history book. You see, I discovered that while books can teach one so much and should be read often, getting out there and having hands-on experiences is the best way to learn. But I digress.

That's when I saw it. An old kitchen cupboard just like you use to have, dark wood like yours, complete with a desk space likes yours had, and cabinet space like yours had. All that was missing were the pictures and various knickknacks you kept on it. I was mesmerized by the memory of you and your house and all the time I spent there as a kid, that it took me a second to take in the smell. Once I did, I could have sworn I was back in your house with you and him and the rest of us, playing all sorts of card games, drinking Slim-Fast, eating Pringles, and watching the Braves. The smell was so precise, so on-point to how your house used to smell, that I had to pause for a minute to gather myself again and remember where I was.

I didn't stay long; just long enough to take a minute or two and think about you. I don't have to wonder what you're doing. You're with Jesus, so I know you're ok. You've been with Him for a few years now, and I know you have been loving every minute of it. We miss you, down here, but we know we'll see you again, and that's ok.

Love you always,
Your grandson Cameron


RIP Margaret Louise "Nanny" Sharp
July 2, 1928 -April 12, 2009

Extra! Extra! Read All About It!

Hello ladies and gents!

I haven't posted in awhile, so I knew it was time to do so. Only, until recently, I didn't have anything interesting to post about. That all changed on Tuesday.

It was just a routine Tuesday: 3 classes, then lunch at the commons with a few RAs. While at lunch, I received a mention on twitter from my twin/bff Tracey Cordle. She tweeted me something from a casting company, saying they needed "high school types" for an overnight shoot on the set of Teen Wolf (for anyone who knows how I watched that show so often last summer, you know this was such a big deal for me), and that I just needed to email them some info, and I could be an extra that night. I about fell out of my chair to be honest. I pulled out my laptop immediately and emailed the casting company right there at the Commons.

We all finished eating not long after that, so I rushed back to my room to check my email for a response from the casting company. When I did receive an email back, I was crushed. I never put two and two together to mean that an "overnight shoot" meant that I would have to miss staff meeting that night and be gone until possibly 7am Wednesday morning. I had missed staff meeting before, but it almost didn't happen, and I felt bad about asking again. But I also really wanted this. I went down to talk to my boss, Krystal, about it, and after that conversation and a mass text to my fourks (I love them so much), I was up in my room hastily writing a paper I had due the next morning that I hadn't started on, as well as packing a few different costume possibilities for my extra role :)

3:15 rolls around, and I am leaving my dorm, headed to the set. Of course I had to get gas first, and of course I tried to leave campus along with everyone else who had a 2:00 class, and of course there was traffic on the highway. With all of that, I still made it just in time.

I checked in at 4:25 (call time was 4:30) and filled out the paperwork. I knew literally no person in that room, so I just found a table marked, "students" and sat. Wrong table. The people at the table were just rude and mean. I tried to talk to them, but received nothing in return. If you think about the stuck-up crowd of people from any typical high school movie, that's who I sat with. The way they acted, the things they talked about, it all confirmed my dislike of them and my wishing I had sat at a different table where I would have actually talked to people and made friends.

I sat for about an hour, trying to text whomever I could to not look as bored as I felt, but trying to make my 1 bar of battery last as long as I could. One of the people in charge of the extras got our attention and asked if there was anyone there who wasn't there yesterday (they filmed the day before as well). I raised my hand, along with about 7 or 8 others, and we were whisked away down to the fields. Down to the set. Down to where the actors were.

Now, at this point, to say that my excitement level was through the roof might have been an understatement. I was beyond excited. If you don't understand how I felt, think about one of your favorite TV shows, then imagine getting to be an extra on that show. Know where I'm at? Ok, good.

Some guy who worked on the show needed 3 people to stand against a fence and look like we were watching the "game", so I, along with 2 other guys, volunteered to be those people. They were really cool. They both were very talkative and nice, and apparently had been doing this extra thing for quite some time now, and I'm pretty sure it was their source of income. I didn't know people did that, just that, for a living. It's cool and all, and the pay isn't bad, but it just never crossed my mind that people did that. I talked to the guys for the time we were standing on the fence, about an hour and a half or so, until we were told we could leave the fence. We walked over to the bleachers, 1 guy was taken to the other side, and the other guy and I were told to walk in front of the bleachers, then walk back. I thought that was pretty cool because it meant that if they use those shots, I'll be on TV, which IS cool. To me, anyway.

Of course, this whole time, I had seen a few of the main actors/actresses. And of course, I had one of those starstruck moments that I knew was inevitable. I had to play it cool the whole night, so I just had mini freak outs on the inside and, when I got my phone after our food break, the few people I was texting about it.

After walking, we were told to sit on the bleachers, in Group D, which was the furthest right section of bleachers if you were looking at the field from the rec center, or from the view point of the cast and crew. So I sat in Section D, along with about 12-15 other people. We cheered when we were told to, and just kinda hung out and talked the rest of the time. Oh, and we froze the WHOLE time. [Sidenote: In my excitement while I was packing and writing, I didn't think about packing gloves, extra layers, etc., to keep me warm while I was outside in Atlanta overnight in January/February. The days might be comfortable and nice, but the nights are brutally cold.]

At 11:00, we broke for "lunch" back in the rec center. Indoors. Warmth. The food was really good and I ate every bite. A few of the main characters joined us, but of course the cast and crew had a different line to walk through for food on the other side of the rec center, so there was no direct interaction. I did, however, have to walk RIGHT PASSED two of the main characters, and I made eye contact with one as he was talking to one of the crew members. Not going to lie, it was really cool.

After "lunch", there was more sitting, more cheering, both real and pantomimed. This went on from midnight until about 5:30 when we were told by the director to go home.

I got back to campus at 6:30am, which was just enough time to finish my paper, drink so much coffee that I'm pretty sure it replaced the blood in my system, shower, and go to class, exhausted, to turn in my paper and give a presentation. I'm sure I looked like a zombie walking around campus, having been awake for 25 hours straight (I ended up going 28 hours without sleep, and it took me until Friday afternoon to finally feel rested up again).

All in all, I had a blast. It may have been long hours, really cold temperatures, and not much to do, I loved it. It's kind of all I've talked about since Tuesday, so I'm sorry if you've had to hear about it repeatedly. I have to thank Tracey for tweeting me. She's the best. I also have to thank Krystal as well as my fourks for letting me go. Y'all are the best staff ever, and I owe you all.

I would say it was a once in a lifetime opportunity, but since I'm going back on Wednesday, I guess it's not :)



Thanks for reading!
Cameron

I had a better post, but I deleted it

I just wrote a really good post about a topic that could cause a lot of controversy, but I decided not to post it. I decided it should remain one of those topics that I post if I ever feel the need to. So, instead of a really good, really thought-provoking, possibly debate-producing post, I'm going to post a cliche one about the first day of classes, and how much back-and-forth I do when it comes to deciding whether or not I am excited about it.

I like that classes are starting back. Classes = schedule, and having a routine schedule suites me well. I like knowing that my day is planned out for me based on obligations I have. I like that it will soon become familiar to me. Familiar is good.

I don't like that classes are starting back. With familiar routines comes the mundane, the "going through the motions" attitude. That is something I regrettably have gotten caught up in too many times in school, and something I am going to try to avoid this semester (Just being honest, I say that every semester.) How much weight does me saying that hold? Ask me in about 6 or 7 weeks, when I'm just about half-way through the semester, and I'm ready for Spring Break and the end of the semester.

I like that classes are starting back. I am taking 4 of my Major courses this semester, and 2 other very interesting classes. As far as content goes, I am so ready for it. I want to learn everything I can in these 6 classes so that I can be the best teacher for my students. These topics are interesting to me, so I want to go to class so I can learn. I'm one of those weird kids who actually likes learning.

I don't like that classes are starting back. This past semester, I had a teacher who I disliked a lot. She just about ruined American history for me (not completely, though). I just hate that when someone is so passionate, so interested in a subject, and they get a professor who clearly doesn't like teaching the material. It puts such a damper on the whole class. I have looked up most of my professors on ratemyprofessor.com, and it seems that I have good ones, but that's just a website, and it's just other people's opinions. I hope I have professors who challenge me to grow as a student and as a person, who push me to my fullest potential, and make me realize that this is all worth it.


See what I mean? I go back and forth on whether or not I want classes to start back. I hate having to get up early, but I kind of want to make myself more of a morning person (clearly, I'm currently a night owl). I'm left with the pros outweigh the cons, I think. No, I know. Welcome to just a piece of my mind.

I guess my cliche post turned into one not-so-cliche, just a few paragraphs where I ramble about what's going on in my brain right now.



If you've made it this far, thanks for reading!

Cameron