"It's Kind of a Funny Story"

Original book cover

I recently found out about a novel called It's Kind of a Funny Story, by Ned Vizzini. I have heard about this novel from a couple of people: first from my brother, who read it for a novel study in grade 10, and then from Mr. J who said that it relates to the subject of my blog--change and the future.

The story centralizes around the character of Craig, a 16 year old who lives with his family in an upper-class neighbourhood in Brooklyn. He attends an incredibly prestigious high school, where he is overwhelmed with the academic pressure and eventually develops an eating disorder and bad sleeping habits, starts smoking marijuana, and begins to develop suicidal thoughts. He is eventually admitted into a psychiatric hospital to help deal with his problems, and makes friends along the way.

With the change that we are facing in our lives currently, we are all trying to deal with it in different ways. Some of us may be successful in dealing with the pressures of change in positive ways, however there are those of us--like Craig--who may be slipping, and struggling to deal with the change.

It's Kind of a Funny Story has recently been made into a movie, starring Keir Gilchrist, Zach Galifianakis, and Emma Roberts. The trailer gives you an idea of what sort of struggles the main character Craig is going through.

Personally, I haven't read the book, nor have I watched the film. However, as part of this blog I've decided that I will read the book and review it in a post later on, and discuss how it relates to us today. After reading the book, I may watch the movie as well to compare the two.

Change and Uncertainty

After speaking with Mr. J about my blog, I've decided that I'll mainly be focusing on the future, and the upcoming change in all our lives as we enter into adulthood. As I said in an earlier post, we're about to leave the familiar and enter into the unfamiliar, and I think that this is a topic that everyone can relate to, especially this year.

Change is something that not everyone likes, myself included. Most people enjoy routine and order; they like knowing what will happen next. Change can come in many shapes and forms, whether it's marriage, a death in the family...or leaving home for the first time to start your own life. We're all so used to finishing one grade, summer break, and then starting anew in the fall. This year though is different, we can't be certain of what will happen next. What will next year bring? How will it compare to the life that we are familiar with now?

Change brings with it so many different opportunities, and when you think about it, this is the time in our life when we really define who we are and decide what we want to do. The changes that will take place in the next few years will affect us all for the rest of our lives, and the next four years of our lives may define the next fifty or sixty years! It's a little scary when you think about it. But as I said said earlier, I think you should just focus on what makes you happy as a person, maybe then change won't be quite so scary.

Honestly though, at this moment in time, it isn't change that is scaring me all that much. It's just the simple matter on whether or not my applications went through to the universities, or if I'll even be accepted to where I want to go. The uncertainty of the next few months is probably even more terrifying than change! I think that this feeling of uncertainty and change is just a part of growing up, and that we must adapt.

Reality T.V. Shows

Just to warn you guys, I'm going to be ranting a lot in this post. I hate reality t.v. shows. And by reality t.v., I don't mean American Idol or other competition based shows. By reality t.v., I mean shows where the stars all live in a house together, and the cameras follow them around as the drama unfolds. I think that these people are only seeking attention and are wannabe stars. Shows like America's Next Top Model, The Hills, and yes, even Jersey Shore, all get me really angry. Most of the people on these shows are only on it to get noticed.

Plus, I hate that these people are paid millions of dollars for a couple of episodes of their everyday lives. This money could be going toward something much more meaningful than their new cars and designer clothing. Why can't this money instead be going toward ending poverty, or endangered species?

I'll admit that I have watched a few episodes of some of these shows, just to see what they're all about, but I would always find myself going crazy by the end. The people were creating drama for themselves by constantly drinking or sleeping around (especially true in Jersey Shore). What sort of example is this setting for their viewers? It isn't only teens that are watching these shows, pre-teens are watching them too. What do they think when they see these "celebrities" drinking and partying on t.v.? Pre-teens are especially impressionable, and when they see celebrities do something, a lot of them think that it is cool.

I'm sure nearly everyone recognized the person in this photo. Snookie. If you don't know, she's one of the many people starring in the reality show Jersey Shore, but she's just as easily well known for the giant poof on the top of her head. Her real name is Nicole Polizzi, and after doing a quick search on Wikipedia, I learned that she now earns roughly $30,000 per episode and is considered the "breakout member of the cast" (The New York Times).

After reading further on "Snookie", I learned that she had been charged for disturbing the peace at Seaside Beach. She pleaded guilty and was sentenced a $500 charge and community service. Apparently, after handing down the sentence, the judge (Damian G. Murray) commented that she is a "Lindsay Lohen wannabe". This arrest was filmed for Season Three of the show, so what kind of example does this set for pre-teens and teenagers after watching it?

I think that with reality t.v. shows, you either love them or you hate them. But I think that everyone can agree without a doubt that the stars of most of these shows do not set a good example for their viewers.

The Future and Happiness

This year is a big year for everyone in my writer's craft course. There's probably about thirty of us total in the course, and I'm pretty sure that everyone is in grade 12, making it our last year of high school. And because it is our last year of high school, it has everyone thinking about their future.

The future is a scary topic, none of us know what it may bring. We're about to leave the familiar and enter into the unfamiliar, whether we're staying for a fifth year of high school of not. Everyone has chosen their courses carefully this year in preparation for what they want to do after high school. Some people have chosen to continue in the sciences, such as chemistry, biology, or even...physics. While others have chosen to focus more so on business, such as economics or accounting. There are all kinds of different topics of interest that people are looking into as a potential career. And, if you're like me, then you may be second-guessing yourself a lot.

Personally, I'm interested in the arts; I like English, and I absolutely love French and history. But I'm always being asked: "What sort of careers are there out of those subjects?". This makes me nervous for what I'll do after post-secondary, will I go into teaching? What other possible careers are there?

But when I think about it, I don't care. I don't want to be stuck doing a career that I hate just because there will be financial security. I want to be happy, and I want to have a job that I'll enjoy doing. Sure, medicine and business is where the the money's at, but I don't enjoy those subjects, nor do I think that I would enjoy those as possible careers.

When thinking toward the future I think that people should think about what would make them happy. To me, that's one of the most important aspects of having a happy life. I don't think that someone should look into a career solely for the money. Yeah, money's important and you do need it, but in my opinion, happiness can go a whole lot further than money.

Hi I'm New :)

I probably should have made this post before my technology blog, but I guess I was just so frustrated with the computer that I couldn't wait. So, I'm going to introduce myself in my second post, rather than my first... 

Hi, I'm Meg. I've started this blog as an assignment for my writer's craft class. My teacher told us that we should try to write in it once a week, and comment on at least three other classmates' blogs or posts once a week. I'll pretty much be talking about anything that pops into my head that day, but I'll try to keep the posts interesting. 

A little note on technology ..

Anyone who knows me well will tell you that I am terrible with technology. I am constantly having to ask for help when it comes to things like t.v. and dvd remotes, cell phones, and of course the computer. Just setting up this blog took me over an hour because it was so difficult for me.

It strange to me that some people can adapt so easily to technology because it's constantly changing; while other people, such as myself, can find it next to impossible to figure out. Today, while setting up my blog, I had to call over my tech-savvy teacher well over five times because I ran into so many problems; whereas he was able to set up his blog after only one try. My friend was also able to set up her blog with relatively little difficulty.

As a person who is technologically-challenged, it makes me just a little nervous for what the future may hold for me. The world is becoming increasingly dependent on electronics, and nearly all jobs require a person to have fairly adequate computer skills. So what does that mean for someone like me? Obviously, I am going to have to get more experience with computers and electronics, and try to not be as dependent on other people to help me when I run into problems. I'm hoping that by starting a blog I'll become more familiar with the internet and computers. Who knows? Maybe one day people will be asking me for help with computers! (haha. Like that'll happen!)