Hip-Hip, Hooray!

One thing I can honestly say is that blogging used to scare me to death.  At the start of it all I faced multiple internal challenges over what to name my blog, how to make and keep it private, and- you get the picture.  That is when it hit me- the idea to blog about young adulthood troubles and conflicts. 

I have always enjoyed connecting with people and especially whenever its on more relevant issues.  Talking about the problems and dilemmas not only becomes a stress-reliever in its own sense, but also a timeless entertainment to those who experience the problem(s)-as well as for those who do not.  Sharing my internal conflicts and also inputting some research to justify and/or answer any questions concerning the troubles, allowed for a sense of normality amongst readers.  My main goal throughout the process was to create unity and deeper connections with my audience through the commonalities of young adults, but not exclusive to. 

As you may see from the start of my posting to the latest, my goal was not quite met at the start.  When I first started posting, it was hard for me to get deep and emotionally connect.  It wasn't until about the fourth or fifth blog post, that I truly began post how I wanted to post.  Not to sound as if anyone or anything was stopping, or that my posts were total duds; but more so I was not allowing myself to be expressive. 

In the rarest sense, blogging made me vulnerable and yet more confident.  At the start it was scary to tell-all, but towards the end it made me stronger- so cliched, but it did.  From opening up about my battles with weight to discussing family matters, my blog transformed into the "flower bud" of what I wanted.  I still have ways to go before I feel that my blog is at the stages of what I have envisioned in my mind to be the perfect blog, but at least I feel confident about it now.  I now enjoy writing about my problems and trying to connect with others with similar issues, just as much as I like to talk about them- which I talk a lot!  I hope that I will still post without the threat of a grade dangling over my head, school reference.  After all is said and done; this experience was new, insightful, scary at first (but what foreign thing isn't), fun, and self-learning from all of the self-searching I began to do for my posts.  Post to you all later. 

"Until next time, this is Imbroglio signing out!"

"Beware of the Plastics"

No Copyright Infringement Intended.  Image from fanpop.com

Sorry I didn't write to you guys last week, I was soaking up the sun last weekend in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. I know, I'm so lucky-not!  Besides the fact that the weather was not at its best beach weather, or maybe it was- it was cold, rainy, and April. Considering the weather was terrible all weekend, when Monday [the first day of "beach weather"] came and everyone rushed to the beach-it shouldn't have came to any surprise.

As I was laying out to soak up the sunlight I knew that I was going to see women walking around in almost nothing and men flaunting their "cut" bodies, but I was still perturbed.  I know I may sound bitter or jealous, but that's only because I am. Last I checked we were at a beach not a brothel, for goodness sakes.

As I have mentioned before, I have been going through some tribulations over losing weight. Going to the beach wasn't as relaxing as I had hoped. Sure my feelings were caused by my own insecurities and jealousy, but at the same time why do they [those that "look good"] feel the need to parade around?

I've noticed that when I see someone toned and slim, but know that they were once bigger and thus had to work hard to look as great as they do-then I don't feel jealous, but rather inspired. Maybe it is all my internal troubles that cause me to envy others, but for now we can just blame it on the "pretty ones."

P.S. Here is a link to nytimes' blog, where they ask for the opinions of thirteen year old+ students whether or not attractive people have advantages. The comments here offer good insight into what and how our youth feel about physical looks-very relevant to today's society.

Here is a link to huffington posts blog post about Perez Hilton's 'Transformation.'

"Take Me Home Tonight"

Have you ever felt as if you were born in the wrong time period?  Do you find yourself relating to an older generation?  I do.

As I have gotten older, I have found myself relating to older groups of people.  Seeing as I am only eighteen, when I say "older," I'm referring to people in their twenties or thirties- not Senior citizens.  I have always felt out of place when around my peers.  In fact many of my closest friends feel the same way as I do, and thus why they are my closest friends as a opposed to a teenage drama queen or junkie.  Anyways, the point is that I have never felt like I was supposed to be born in 1993.

My mother is my closest friend, she is 40, and this could be why I have or like to have friends that are more in her age-bracket.  Many of my older friends say I am on "old soul" and they are just immature for their ages, which could be true.  The fact that I grew up in a house with four adults- my mom, uncle, and grandparents- could also have an effect on my "ways." 
I feel as if I should have been born sooner, way sooner than the early-nineties.  Now I'm not talking about 1940s or back in colonial times, but possibly in the mid to late 70s.  I would have loved to grow up in the 80s and actually get to experience the 90s, come on let's face it- I was born in the 90s but I can't remember anything that was going on in world based upon experience.

I have mentioned this before, but I will say again- I love music.  My taste of music is very broad, and this is where the generation thing comes into play.  Growing up, my mother always exposed me to a wide-range of music from country to raw rap.  On our joyrides around town-she was young and a "free-bird" if you will- she would always play her old cassettes consisting of eighties, nineties, and her personal mixes.  I would go to school singing Journey's "Don't Stop Believing," in the sixth grade and sing all of Fleetwood Mac and a few solo songs by Stevie Nicks throughout high school.  What can I say?  I love the 70s, 80s, and 90s; and I love music and thus I can come across as "aged beyond my years."

In a way I guess it is a good thing that I was born when I was and can fantasize about the previous decades, rather than actually experience them- I can't imagine being in my thirties or forties already, then again the world is going to end in December right? Ha. Back to the point, I'd rather be considered "mature for my age" because I sing Pat Benatar (my favorite is "Love is a Battlefield) and watch John Hughes movies (Breakfast Club!) over more negative reasons i.e. drugs, sex, or act bitter and crabby.  Although it would still always be nice to go back and just experience a bit of it all.  Maybe if the world doesn't end in December, then time-travel may become a real possibility-sarcasm*.

P.s I wanted to offer you a blog from my community, of which actually gave me the idea to blog about this imbroglio of mine.

P.s.s I did some research online as to why people feel as if they were born in the wrong time period, but came up a little short.  From what I could gather and sum up, there isn't any actual scientific or psychological reasoning behind the mystery feelings only opinions-and many of them.  From the opinions that actually had some sort of reasoning, I gathered that: some people believe that the reason is because our souls are stuck in the past time at which we once lived and thus we yurn to return, while others believe it is simply natural human desire.  The human desire theory makes the most sense to me.  If you think about it, movies and music depict the best parts of the past time periods and enhance them.  I guess if I had been in the seventies, then I would wish I had been born in the twenties or so on.  The fact of the matter is that human desire is something that can not and possibly never will be fully explainable.

Resourcing The Resourceful

Considering the fact that I have been blogging about issues relevant to young adults, you could easily guess that I read other blogs of that very nature.  A few blogs I have stayed faithful and loyal to throughout are- Hipstercrite and Renrexx. 
In both blogs, the writer blogs about issues of her life and correlate them with her audience.  They both write about personal occurrences as well as opinions in a way that young adults too can relate.  I find both blogs to be interesting, teaching, and comical; all aspects working together to engage the audience and make it all the more relevant. 
In many ways I have attempted to mimic their blogging styles, to have the same effect on my readers.  Some cases/attempts haven't been as successful as others, but I realize that I still have a lot to learn within the blogging world.  Anyways to keep a long story short, as well as save some information for my paper, these two blogs will most definitely be apart of my writing-they have been all semester.
Here are direct links to the blogs so you can get a look at what I am referring to and maybe too fall in lust with the blogs. 
http://renrexx.blogspot.com/
http://www.hipstercrite.com/

P.s In a way, don't they both remind you of Carrie from "The Sex In The City," in the sense of the way they both present their blogs?  I can almost see both bloggers writing with the thoughts running through their minds, the way Carrie does.

I'm Going To Do It, You'll See...

I do not own this image.  No copyright infringement intended. Courtesy of Google.

This week I want to return to a topic mentioned in the very beginning. A problem for many, especially young adults with society and media creating an image, is weight. Since I began blogging, I have lost twelve pounds total. I admit to not sticking to the plan as strictly as I should have been, but with the aid of Zumba classes and other aerobics I have slimmed my waist and other parts of my body down a bit.

I know the old saying goes that muscle weighs more than fat, but I wish the numbers would match how I feel. I feel stronger, faster, and healthier without the greasy foods literally weighing me down. It amazes me how little changes in diet can truly enhance emotional and physical feelings towards oneself. Although I have "relapsed" several times during my journey, I am getting back on track. I know I can do this, its all a matter of discipline.

Self-discipline is something I have concerning school, but in the department of exercise I am failing miserably. I admire those that are self-disciplined enough to stay on top of their workout routines as if they are simply habitual. I learned today, in my Zumba class that there are three main components to a healthy exercise routine that in turns creates the "perfect body". They are: Cardio, muscular strength and endurance, and flexibility.

Interesting enough my instructor told us of a few students that attend her other classes are big body-building men. Well these men had gotten in their minds that Zumba was "for girls," and that they got enough cardio from a treadmill. Apparently that is false, a treadmill or an elliptical unless it is used like this; is not beneficial in any way. Anyways, she told us [the class] that one of those guys lost four pounds in one session because all he ever focused on was strength.

Not to sound envious, but I wish I had THAT problem. The fact of the matter is that I have found it hard to stay focused on the goal, and each time I realize that I am or have fallen off track I want to give up completely. Its as if there is a little devil on my shoulder telling my fat ass to simply give up, but I have an angel on the other side telling me maybe I can do it.  Sometimes 'maybe' is good enough internal angel!  As silly as that sounds, this is what I have done in the past and clearly I am getting nowhere. This time I absolutely am going to continue on and learn some self-discipline.

Anyways, I better come to close and go to bed; that is another component that can effect weight gain or loss-sleep! Sorry if this posts seems to be all over the place, but it reflects my feelings of my diet plan very accurately- that being that I feel "all over the place" with my eating habits and goals that I have set for myself.

Here are some blogs that are more specific to weight loss and dieting:
http://battling-bulge.blogspot.com/
http://shutupskinnybitches.wordpress.com/

http://www.health-foodie.com/

Music Makes the People...

One of the mutual friends among young people is music.  Music is timeless in the sense that it remains ageless.  Of course it remains current and relative to the time/era to which it was composed, but it does not show signs of ending.  Music has existed before man and will outlive them, with the sounds of nature.  Music in many ways is beneficial to the mind, body and soul; not to sound like some ridiculously over-the-top philosopher.

Some medicinal practices use music in music therapy which has been proven to “promote wellness, manage stress, alleviate pain, enhance memory, and improve communication.”  “These sessions include making music, listening to music, singing to music, discussion of, and/or moving to music (dancing).”(Pujic) 

If you truly think about it, music is one of the closest things we have to time travel.  I know from personal experience that whenever I hear an old song, especially a favorite, I can almost relive the life/age that I was during the hit song.  Many songs are linked to specific times in my life, and when I hear them now I can remember everything of that time. 

Being a child of the nineties, I love all of the old hip-hop, rap, and the start of pop-electro music of the decade.  I am in no way ashamed of admitting to jamming to Mariah Carey’s Fantasy or trying to ‘go hard’ with Notorious B.I.G’s Juicy.  The feeling that I get whenever I listen to songs as such, or any music that I find to indulging to ignore, outweighs any sort of embarrassment I could ever receive.  I get a feeling of freedom, lighter and not weighed down by the stresses of life, and most importantly I can instantly change my mood from whatever to serene and happy. 

“Undeniably, music had an inherent ability to reach through to people with sound, melody, rhythm and lyrics.  It can touch a person’s soul, soothing pain, providing comfort and relieving stress.  It can bring clarity to an otherwise foggy situation.  Sometimes the best medicine can be as simple as listening to your favorite CD”- which in my case is currently Lady GaGa’s Born This Way. (Pujic)


Pujic, Anja (2009, December, 7).  The Benefits of Music Therapy.  Retrieved from http://anja-pijic.suite101.com

I do not own this. No copyright infringement intended.

The Great Fight

It is estimated that 11,958,000 men and women have been diagnosed with cancer.  More specifically, 32,000 have cancer to the liver- 22,000 of which are male and 10,000 female.  (Cancer...)  Two years ago my grandfather was diagnosed with cancer to the liver.  Since then the tumors on the liver grew but have been stabilized for the past six months to a year.  The upside is that the tumors on his liver have not grown, however he has been in an immense amount of pain because the cancer has spread.  It spread to his bones, a very rare incident but most certainly possible, and has formed a few more tumors intertwined in his spinal muscles and area. 

“The liver is the largest internal organ.  It lies under your right ribs just beneath your right lung.  It is shaped like a pyramid and divided into right and left lobes.  The lobes are further divided into segments.  The liver is made up of several different types of cells.  This is why several types of malignant (cancerous) and benign (non-cancerous) tumors can form in the liver.”(Liver Cancer) 

My grandfather has always been a man of pride.  He has never allowed anyone to know he is ever in pain and most certainly never misses work for any illness-maybe this is where I have adopted my stubbornness from.  I think these traits are hereditary and we have some strong blood coursing through us.  His mother, my great-grandmother, was diagnosed with cancer and wasn’t expected to make it past the night but lived for another twenty years.  Like many other decisions in his life, my granddad shows many of the same characteristics that my great-grandmother did during her fight for cancer.

The news is tear-jerking for me and leaves me wondering, what can I do to help?  The fact that where or how it originated is unknown, too is angering.  My grandfather was apart of the Air Force, and flew in the Vietnam War.  During that time, a chemical popularly known as "Agent Orange" was in high exposure.  Because the chemical is known to have caused a multitude of health issues, doctors theorize that he may have contracted the cancer way back then and it took time for it to mastecize in the liver.  In case you were wondering, the cancer did not originate in the liver and thus is not from drinking although he did do his share of drinking in his ripe years. 

I wish that it was me that had the disease instead of him, because I feel that being the ripe age of eighteen I’d be able to fight it better than he can at sixty-five.  However, the thing is that there really isn’t much that I can do and I feel as if I am rendered useless.  My entire family is very close-knit; I was raised by my mom and grandparents- her parents.  With that said, I have always been very close to my grandfather and it angers me to see him literally wither away.  I know the only thing I can do is to remain positive, and hope for the best.  Encouragement, positivity, and comfort have been shown to help cancer patients fight the disease.  I plan to do all of those things and anything and everything else to help my grandfather.

Click here for more information on liver cancer: what it is, how it develops, how to prevent it, and possible treatments of.  Also the site offers information on a multitude of other forms of cancer.



My granddad and I on my eighth birthday- 08/24/2001

Cancer Prevalence: How Many People Have Cancer? (2011, October 18). Retrieved February 20, 2012, from http://www.cancer.org
Liver Cancer. (2012, January 23). Retrieved February 20, 2012, from http://www.cancer.org

Attack of the "Dead Toe"- A Family and Work Dilemna

Last week I had to go to the podiatrist to get my horribly infected ingrown toenail, or as my sister’s friend calls it “The Dead Toe,” checked out.  I was embarrassed to go but as you can see from the image, it was clear that it needed medical attention; my toe was creating its own horror series.  In fact ingrown toenails are very common among young adults in comparison to other age groups, with males being most susceptible.

The podiatrist removed the toenail, and put me on antibiotics to get rid of the infection.  All was well, until I was informed that I was not to attend work the next day because of the interference with post-procedure healing.  Being stubborn, I planned on going to work but my plan was quickly halted when my parents entered the picture.

My parents, more so my mom, ordered me to listen to the podiatrist and stay home.  The only problem was that I would be missing a Friday night at work-which are always busy and thus my manager was in dire need of me. 

The predicament I was stuck in is evident, do I please my mom or my manager.  Troubles like these seem specific to young adults, due to the nature of needing to please.  I decided to stay home, because my mom’s wrath is too furious to deal with- you know the typical silent treatment deriving from disappointment that mothers sometimes put us kids through.  Sure you probably think that I should just defy her and do what I feel best becasue I am eighteen, but at the same time I live under her roof and she is only trying to look after me- besides I will admit that I rely on her for a lot and can't afford to risk our relationship.  I would have never thought that work and family- better yet work and my mom could or would ever put me in an awkward situation.  Work was fine with my absence and my mother was pleased that I listened to her.  Yes I am eighteen but I’m not afraid to say that mother knows best.  Go ahead and say it, “I’m a ‘momma’s boy,’” but I am fine with that. 

Times as such, make me feel as if my parents are suppressing my growth.  Not to say that I could make it on my own, or that “I’m grown,” simply that I need space because my legs are cramping.  My parents went as far to say that I have a lot of growing up to do.  Why, because I want to go to work?  I feel as if I don’t know exactly what my parents want out me.  I also feel as if I am being belittled whenever my mom takes control of my decisions concerning work.  I guess the best thing to do for now is to continue my pleasing methods, and cruise by at least until I can somewhat support myself.

The Impasse of Others

For my final analysis paper for my ENG 112 class, I am going to most likely refer to two of my “go-to” community blogs. 

The first being renrexx.blogspot.com.  The moment I stumbled across this blog, I knew it was exactly where my blogs home belonged.  The blog talks about being a “survival guide to young adulthood” and offers personal accounts of the blogger on topics that affect the young adult community.  Problems from sex to relationships to simple pleasures such as phones are discussed.  The blog is very fun and engaging, and has plenty of posts to never appear dull or leave its readers with “Okay, and?”  Although the last post was posted about five months ago, I find pleasure in going back through the posts and finding real-time relations with what the author discusses.

The second blog is hipstercrite.com. As soon as I read the title, I knew it was for me.  With hipsters being closely related to funky, young, and lively; it was exactly where I wanted to be with my blog.  Based out of Austin, Texas, the author attracts its readers with problems that are experienced by all persons, and especially those in young adulthood.  The blog discusses health-stress/anxiety, fashion, pop culture, and many other problems/ topics of discussion concerning daily living. 

The set-up of either blog is quite intriguing and I think attributes to their growing members/followers. 

In my paper, I want to discuss how both blogs approach the topic of problems of being a young adult.  Where renrexx offers a survival guide and hipstercrite offers advice but in a way to let readers know there is nothing wrong with them.  In both cases the bloggers respond to their commenters and offer a sense of reality/ brings themselves to life.  I will discuss more in depth of the subject matters when the paper comes, but for now check out the blogs and get a better understanding of what and why I mean what I say.

Do I Smell an Attitude?

Before I get started, I just want to point out that I am not going to rant and rave about respect like an overly hormonal teenager who feels as if the world doesn’t understand him; simply I want to turn the focus on interacting jobs.  I am sure that everyone has worked in a customer service job, and if by the slight chance one of you readers have not then I’m 99 percent sure you know someone that did or still does.

As I mentioned in the opening post, I work in a pizzeria as counter help, or in layman's terms a “phone person.”  I work thirty hours a week, and what do you know? I’m answering phones almost the entire length of that time.  To be absolutely honest, towards the end of nine hour shift, I’m worn out and do not wish to speak with any of the customers.  Considering that I am getting paid to do that very thing, I must put aside my needs to focus on assuring “good customer service.”

With that said, would any rational person think that I would take being yelled at or berated kindly?  Well the answer is NO.  However because the “customer is always right” I either have to take it or in the rare circumstance that the customer is too difficult to handle then I hand them over to one of my managers. 

To give you a better visual of what I must deal with on occasion, let me tell you a story.  First we will change the names of those involved for personal assurance.  The customer’s name is Beth, and my manager will be Strange.

It was a Wednesday night, and business on week nights is good but not busy.  I’m going to step back.  To assure that everything is right I always repeat back every bit of information, and especially since the night wasn’t too busy I had time to spend on this customer in particular.  Anyways, the customer calls and I answer the phone as I always do “Thank you for calling…This is…How may I help you?”  Instantly the customer caught an attitude with me, for reasons nobody knows.  “Hi.  My name is Beth.”  Trying to be the best at my job, I ignored the moody tone of voice.  “Hi! Can I have your address please ma’am?”  You would have thought I asked her for a favor, with the tone she replied back with.  Normally I can easily ignore it, however because the street name was unfamiliar and the tone she had adopted was causing feedback into the receiver it was hard to understand her.  After repeating the address and order several times to make sure everything was 100 percent correct, I was released of my bondage to this unmannerly woman.

My shackles were quickly chained around my ankle once again, by another phone call from Beth.  Instantly, she began to scold me.  Apparently the driver had gotten lost, and called Beth; when in actuality the address was wrong.  Beth began using very derisive language with me.  Amongst the berating, she had informed me that the food arrived on time and was just fine, but the problem is that I am “incompetent” and the driver showed up soaking wet.  I thought to myself, as she was going on about my inadequateness, the reason the driver was wet was because it is pouring down rain.  At the moment that I realized she was not going to stop, I simply asked her “well what do you want me to do, would you like to speak to my manager?”  “Please,” she said in the snarkiest way.  Of course, my manager Strange would take her side and let her know that he was on her side.  She was given a ten dollar credit and I was reprimanded.  In essence, Beth was rewarded for her ability to whine.  Later, I was informed by the driver that she gave him the same [wrong] address she had given me.

The point of that story was to prove my point, that had I at least sounded older rather than younger than I really am, I probably would not have had any problems out of Beth.  I sometimes feel that because of my youthful appearance, and possibly my actual age, I do not receive the respect that I must give others.  But maybe that is my answer.  Because I MUST give the customers respect, some of them feel that they do not have to return the gesture in any shape or form.  How could they give me respect?  On what level do I deserve?  I’m not an adult, but I am not a child either.  Although, I can truthfully say that I have a newfound respect for waiters and waitresses; because of my personal experience with customers in the restaurant business.  The respect level is not there, and sometimes it seems to be enough to push me to quit.  Why are so many people rude, or feel as if they are entitled?  I am technically an adult too, and a very respectable one at that.  With the amount of young adults in the customer service industry, especially the restaurant business, I would think respect would just be present.  Maybe it isn’t an age thing in whole, but it definitely has a major influence.

Slimming Down the Addict

To continue with this week’s theme of reflecting back on posts thus far, I want to discuss the weight issue again.  At the moment of getting past caring about what other’s think of us, we can then focus more on what we think about ourselves-individually.  As I mentioned before, appearances are steadily amounting to contain importance in today’s society and targets young-adults more-so directly. 

Food addictions have arisen with the manufacture of fast-foods and other such conveniences.  With all of the hormones and preservatives being pumped into our food to make it more appealing, we are in-turn “pumping up” ourselves.  Because of this, we experience happiness from the foods but our bodies burn the “drug” too fast and make us crave the food once again and very soon.  Here is a link to a video on Dr. Oz's website, discussing the subject matter.  As Dr. Mike Dow mentions, there are foods that can do produce the same happiness in our bodies and last much longer in comparison to the junk foods.  Here is a list of foods he terms "booster foods." 


Battling the food addiction, and conquering can be life-changing.  Benefiting from weight-loss includes, but is not limited to: better self-esteem, emotionally and physically healthier, etc.  "The benefits are MANY and the good news is that significant benefits can be achieved with only a 10 percent weight loss."(The Health...)  I want to be able to make down to a more healthy size, and still continue to battle the drugging foods.  I have lost 9 pounds so far, and still have a lot more ways to go.  Maybe, in a long run, I will post before and after pictures WHEN I meet my goal.   


Here is another link to a blog that I found interesting and specifically focuses on food addictions.

"The Health Benefits of Losing Just 10% of Your Body Weight." (2012, January 11). Retrieved February 6,2012, from www.dailyspark.com

Being at their Mercy

As a continuation from my latest post:

All my life I have reared my parents as the most superior beings, and I the most inferior to them.  I was raised to always give respect to adults and other superior beings, teachers and such.  Growing up, my single-parent mother used the common phrases “I have to be the mom and the dad” and “I am not your friend, I am your parent.”  Although she stuck by her word, she still wanted and achieved the relationship we have always had- I can tell her anything, talk to her about whatever and still keep the level of mother and son in check.  As I got older, however, our relationship has changed to that of an older sister and younger brother in ways that we can relate and discuss more adult-oriented topics.  The relationship is strong and healthy, as any child-parent relation should; but I still find myself not being completely comfortable.

Being at the mercy of my parents makes me feel as if I am not progressing in my life, but rather doing the opposite.  I do not want to dominate or over-step my boundaries as the “adult-child,” but the power-struggle between my parents and I is evident.  In my point of view I see myself as being a responsible young-adult.  I am a full-time student, part-time worker sustaining 30 hours a week, and saving up for a car.  However, it seems that it is not good enough for my parents.  Am I the one that is blinded by my own “perfections?”  Or are my parents too afraid to let me grow up? 

“In our Western culture, economic independence leads people to feel self-empowered and capable. It feels good to be able to rely on yourself, to take care of yourself, and to feel capable of pursuing your own goals.”(Dependent...)  The struggle of mine is well reflected by the quote above.  I want to branch out and “sow my own oats,” however I have to depend on my parents.  Dependence can be a blessing and a curse.  I am not too bothered by the common struggles of the “adult world,” and yet I wish to be apart of the new-world only independent. 

“By making most of the decisions for our children, we weaken them. By allowing them to make decisions and requiring them to take responsibility for their actions, we strengthen them.”(Dependent...)  Possibly this is a topic I need to discuss with my parents, but how do I go about doing so without offending.  Arguments on such topics that end with threats like: “Find your own ride to work/school,” only push me further into an internal confusion.  I don’t ever like coming across as ungrateful, or suppressed.  However, I am only getting older and I need my freedoms as anyone else does. 

Dependent Young Adults: "We've given you every advantage! Don't you want to do something with your life?" (2012, February 6). Retrieved February 6,2012, from http://www.sowhatireallymeanttosay.com/

Problems of the Past that have Led Me Here…

            The moment I graduated and would move away for a four-year college was always a dream of mine, who’s isn’t?  However, upon my senior year, plans were changed.  I graduated high school with honors, and decided to attend NVCC in the upcoming fall.  Although it was never my goal to attend community college, due to the negative connotations it can carry, it became a much better plan. 

             I was quite hesitant upon attending NVCC, perhaps because of pride.  As the time drew closer for application deadlines, NVCC seemed economically ideal.  Why go off to a four-year school and pay almost three times the amount in tuition than I would at a community college.  The only troubles that I faced were that I still had the fantasy that I could always receive assistance, especially with the grades I had sustained all throughout school.  Should I leave, against my family’s wishes, and go off to a four-year university; or stay at home and attend community college, all the while still dealing with the stresses of family matters?

             An article from CBS News reported that the amount of young adults that return home after graduating from a university has steadily increased since 2007.  They termed this increasingly large group from the new generation “boomerang kids,” meaning just that.  “‘I want a job that I can show that I am talented, that my talent isn't going to waste and I want to be able to support myself and be able to support my family down the line,’ Young says.”(6M, Russ Mitchell)  A thought that I too share, and so do many other young adults that find themselves in this sort of situation. 

            The problem within myself started with the weighing of my two options.  I could go away and most likely end up becoming a “boomerang kid” or I could simply stay home and drudge through the all-too normal butting of the heads between my parents and I. 

            Obviously I stayed home and have become a student of NVCC.  This is my second semester, and after completing the first- I have made the right choice.  I made the Dean’s List, but some of peers that went off to school did not do so well.  I am taking the same classes that my friends are taking; only I am paying less than half than they are in tuition alone, and performing academically better than they are.  I have to give credit to my mother for advising me into the right direction.  I am happy at this point in my life, but still suffer through parental issues.  To be continued in a later Blog-Post.

6M young U.S. adults live with their parents. (2011, December 4). Retrieved January 30, 2012, from www.cbs.news.com

The Lighter Side to the Heavy Me

A rising pandemic in our nation is Obesity.  Several campaigns for over-weight awareness and childhood obesity have filtered their ways into every form of media.  With healthier choices in public school cafeterias and encouraging children to get active should end the problem quite soon right?  What about those that were apart of the childhood obesity statistics and now belong to the obese adults community?  With the rise of technology, the necessity of a “fast-lane” life, and the perennial recession, fast food chains become the go to places for lunch, dinner and even breakfast.  Here is a link to an interesting fact about a global fast-food chain: http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.aec4920fe8094fdd0baaeab2ed126bf1.741 How does this affect a college student particularly?  College life is expensive, from tuition to materials, and does not seem to be getting any cheaper.  A college student is then going to stop by a fast-food chain to get quick food that is cheap and tastes good.  The downfall of this are the harmful affects this food can have on a college student’s physical and mental health.  Here is a link to an interesting website that offers a more professional and in depth discussion of obesity and its affects on health: http://l-pawlik-kienlen.suite101.com/mental-health-effects-of-obesity-a27133 “Obese young women are half as likely to attend college as slim girls.  Obese young women are also more likely to use drugs and alcohol than their slimmer peers.”(Pawlik-Kienlen)  My perspective of it all, as a person who has dieted many times and had several weight-fluctuations all by the age of eighteen, is that it is almost a “catch twenty-two.”  If I live my life and not worry about my weight than I am unhappy with myself and thus send myself into a depression, however if I try to better my health and appearance then I am falling to what society expects me to look like and not being my own person.  My friends and I used to joke around about the over-weight topic, but I am done joking and ready to get serious with myself.  I am currently on a diet and this time I really want to do it again-lose the weight and keep it off.  I may post on the blogs to come a little excerpt about my weight-loss progress.  So far it has been a week and I have lost three pounds, I still have a ways to go before I hit my goal weight. 

Pawlik-Kienlen, Laurie. "How Obesity Affects Mental and Emotional Health: The Social and Psychological Consequences of Being Overweight | Suite101.com." Psychology Suite101.com. 25 July 2007. Web. 23 Jan. 2012. <http://l-pawlik-kienlen.suite101.com/mental-health-effects-of-obesity-a27133>.

Insight into My Chaotic Imbroglio

The minds of young adults are one big mystery.  The transition between childhood and adulthood is a mental burden in itself.  I am one, and even I find it hard at times to fully understand why I do things the way I do, or even what makes me do them or think that way.  Through psychology we can all learn that one single brain is not identical to another.  With that being said my blog posts will be mostly based on my own personal experiences and others [young adults] that too find themselves in similar predicaments.  Not to say that any or all of my topics will be topics that only adolescents can face, there could be a forty year old that experiences similar dilemmas and that is unfortunately perfect!  I will discuss various topics such as: anxiety and its relation to school, work and other stress-related issues; sexuality; relationships-friend and family; and various other topics as such and all having the focal theme of young-adult impasses.  *Hence the title.  A little introduction of myself, would be I am an eighteen year old male, currently living at home, studying at a local community college, and sustaining a part-time job.  Don’t get me wrong there is not anything wrong with a community college, but graduating high school with over a 4.0 GPA and staying home mainly for the family’s sake, can cause a little bit of imbroglio in my head.  I am very much overweight and have family member(s) of who are sick- I will address more in detail, the topics I just mentioned in the very near future.  I am extraverted and musically oriented in a sense that I love music-but what person of the new generation doesn’t?  From a first glance, I am quite normal, lost in the crowd.  After a few moments however, it can easily be identified that I am far from that.  What is normal anymore, anyways?  Is anyone truly normal?  These things complicate my life even further, especially when I see that I do not fit the criteria of a normal eighteen year old male.