Distractions

Wow, can you believe it is almost time for spring break? I think we can all use this time, professors, faculty, and students.

In case you want to get a hair cut or your nails done, today on campus at Fullerton College the Trendsetters are giving free hair cuts or manicures for people with A.S. Benefits. I got my hair trimmed up and really enjoyed it. I think here on campus we forget that there are services like this offered to us at a discounted rate, by people who are talented and are not going to mess up our hair, like we may think since they are in school. So I am giving them a shout out this week!

I do not know about you guys and what is going on in your lives, but I have been having a rough few weeks in all parts of my life. I do not like to divulge too much of my personal life on a public forum. I know I have mentioned in previous blog posts how with technology today, people do not often reach out to each other anymore. So today because of lots of reasons I actually deactivated my Facebook account. It will not be forever and it is just a little test I guess. A test for me, but also a test for those around me that only seem to think they know what is going on with me because of what they read on Facebook. People make assumptions, we all do it, but the best way to clear up assumptions is to talk to the person and not take what you hear or say as truth unless you talk to the source. I keep lots of settings private anyway on Facebook, for the fact that I know people do make assumptions and out of all the people you may have as a friend on there maybe 10 out of 100 people will actually ask about it, the rest think their assumptions are the truth. So today is a new day for me. I am often so concerned about others, I forget to put myself and my needs first. I answer texts, messages, and make it seem like I am available 24/7, which I am, but to those I care about. But this little experiment makes me wonder how many people notice things, and how many will reach out to you outside of the easy means that are available to us. But also how much more productive I can be without the distractions constantly coming to my phone or computer, if I take time to just shut out the world for a bit.

If you think about it we are living in a generation meant to distract us, if we didn't have all those distractions what would life be like? I was listening to the radio on my way to school, and the girl was saying how easy it is for people to meet people. Even being an online gamer gives you the chance to meet someone online, and people get distracted. These distractions come in many ways, for me it may be slacking off on writing a paper, for others it may be giving someone attention in an avenue where they shouldn't be giving that person attention. I do not want to seem like I am lecturing though, but we do make it easier and easier on people to cheat on each other because of the distractions we have out there.

Okay so I realize I kind of went off on a tangent. I get that way sometimes when I am inside my own head and have lots of things going on there. Lots I want to say, and rarely do I ever say it.

If you are someone at Fullerton College, it is almost time for spring break, I think over spring break we should be distracted from school though so that we can clearly focus when we get back from break. I want to have some healthy distractions though, and I hope you do as well. I know distractions can be necceassry sometimes, just like they can be destructive in other cases. Lets strive to only involve ourselves in the healthy kind and not forget that communication should be more than reading about someone on Facebook. Communication and being in someones life requires effort on both ends. So this spring break, hang out with a friend, and go to the beach to get distracted! You may see me there relaxing too!

Serena

Tolerance

I hope you all had a safe weekend. Sunday's weather here in So Cal was a bit crazy! At 11:00pm when I was trying to fall asleep listening to the rain outside, a neighbor shot off some firecrackers. I had to laugh, even though it’s not something you expect on a rainy night in March.

On Friday I had the opportunity to go to the Museum of Tolerance, hosted by the Cadena Cultural Center at Fullerton College. I have never been before and had a good time; well I should say a thought provoking time.

Before I get more in to the serious matters, I wanted to say something on a less serious note. People that are tall, you KNOW you are tall, so why do you stand in front of short people who cannot see around you? I am usually one of the shortest in the group, and some of the girls had to keep pulling me in front so I could see the exhibits on Friday. I appreciated them doing that, because sometimes I am too polite to actually say anything.

Okay back to the museum, have you guys ever been before? It is all timed for you to go walk through and lots of information and pictures to soak up. You are given a photo of a child to follow throughout the tour. They first talk about the idea of tolerance, and you go through the history of the United States on the ways in which we as a great nation were not tolerant at all, and we were downright nasty to those who were different, looked different, acted different, then what at the time seemed ideal for the society in place. It also takes you through the people who stood up for change, and for what was right. Now our tour guide was quite passionate, which is great, but I think with his passion and everything going on, and it being lunch time, I got over stimulated and by the time I left I had a massive headache.

They tried to make what happened in the Holocaust come alive to all who walked through. You read the story about a child and follow their life, and they paint a picture of the Nazi’s, Adolf Hitler, and the difference between an actual race, and a religion. They talked about the idea of something being taught enough and talked about, that people started to believe it. You walk through an area that is made to look like a concentration camp and then lead to a room that looks like a gas chamber and you were told of the stories of the people who lost their lives simply because someone hated them enough to want to wipe them off the face of the earth. We go through and realize that throughout our own lifetime there have been countries who tried to eliminate a race, a religion, or those who someone thought was beneath them. Then at the end you get a print out of your child and it tells you if they lived or died. The little girl I got was named Helena and the fate of her and her family is unknown.

I wanted to talk about this today, because everyone is predicted in some way. We need to learn and educate more, and be weary of not standing up for what is right. No human deserves to be treated like an animal. Just wanted to start this Monday off asking how you can make sure that you make a positive change for the future today? We need to learn to not breathe life into stereotypes and stop essentially bullying each other. It can start with you, but it’s up to you to educate your family and friends, but most importantly your kids. We have the power to change and we also have the power to make change.

Serena

Late Late For a Very Important Date

Okay so I don't know about you guys, but do you ever feel like the rabbit from Alice in Wonderland? I know that sometimes I can't seem to enjoy the moment I am in because I have a list of things to do that grows 10 times bigger after I check one thing off. I don't want life to be like that. I don't want to feel overwhelmed where I can't just enjoy the moments of living life and being happy in that moment.

I am not sure how to make sure I live in every moment. I know I do not have all the answers, and as college students or students in general we are constantly thinking about our next assignment, or next test. SO how do we make sure that we also try and enjoy the moments each day? I would like to know your secrets for making sure you stay focused, yet live in the moments. There are times when I wake myself up thinking about what I did not get done the day before. Today even I was almost late to my first class, rushed to my next one, ran to get something to eat, went to my next class and was late to my AGS meeting. So I felt like the rabbit all day. But it was in the moments after the meeting where I was sitting with friends, where I did not want to rush. I still had a list of things to do a mile long, but finally for the day I was in a moment that I did not want to rush out of. So I am sitting here writing this blog and I am realizing that sometimes its the people we choose to place in our lives that help us live in the moments. I would like to surround myself with people who make me present in the moments, rather than with people who make me want to hurry and get out of there, or worry about the next thing I have to do. Its not easy but I think technology is part of the problem too. There are people I hang out with that I don't even feel the need to c heck my phone. I think that is a great feeling, when you can be in the moment with out having to feel the need to see who is texting, who is emailing, who is facebooking you. I am not perfect and realize I do this, but I love realizing after hanging out with someone, that I didn't need to check it and life still went on with out being at every one's beck and call.

I think to live in the moment, you have to BE in the moment. Maybe we could help each other, and call each other out. Help each other reconnect to one another because lets face it life is too short. I know this is easier said then done.  

Well I hope your week is going great and that we can all live in the here and now before life just passes us all by.

Serena 

Mental Health Day

I don't know about you guys but it is easy to get overwhelmed sometimes. Right now we are about 2 weeks from our spring break and it is much needed! Between work, classes, and life, I need a mental health day!

I feel at times i am constantly playing catch up, but haven't quite felt caught up yet. It seems like something always suffers. When I am caught up in school, my place is in desperate need of cleaning. When i feel caught up with work, my school work falls behind or I forget about an assignment so at midnight am hurrying to finish before class the next day. Its a constant battle of playing catch up and days off do not always feel like a day off, because they are often times spent running around doing the errands that you couldn't accomplish during the work and school days. Oh which makes me think how desperately I am in need of going to the grocery store, because all I have in my fridge is almond milk, and V8 smoothie juice! Plus this girl's cupboards are bare!

So don't you think we all could use a mental health day? I know for me spring break couldn't come soon enough, but I was silly and told work i could work so I am hoping that i can at least get a day or 2 off during that time or I will not really get my mental health day! I think we all get this way about now and all those of us who are graduating and transferring are starting to feel anxiety about the end of this semester and where we will continue on to.

Okay well that's all for today because I have to scurry off to my next class.

As we try and take time for ourselves, remember to do the little things like smile at a stranger. You never know that you may have made a person's day ten times better from a smile gesture!

Serena