Adolescence

During our parents' teen years, they were more free. They could go anywhere they want anytime the want. They'd just have to tell their parents where they're going. Even though they didn't have much money, people weren't unsafe. These days, there are more dangerous people that can kidnap you, but back in the old days, all the bad guys were caught and put into jail.

One of the things that is similar between adolescents now and adolescents from more than 20 years ago is that we feel pressure all the time, in everything that we do. Parents still are strict, if not all the time. We still play with friends, but not as much as our parents did. We still get homework, too, and we still get in trouble if we don't do it. There's still rebellion, and I don't think that it ever will disappear just like that.

The only difference now is that teens are more daring at doing things they're not supposed to. Our parents didn't need the rule "Don't smoke" like we do. They know it's wrong, even though they might be a little tempted. Teens now are more stubborn and get more involved in things that are inappropriate.

Well, a lot of things have changed. First of all, we have better access to technology, so sometimes we stay inside the house all day, just surfing the net and going on facebook and myspace. Our parents though, since they didn't have very good technology, went outside and played with their friends until it got dark. Second, there's less freedom now than there was back in our parents' day. They could roam about the streets until midnight and not get kidnapped. We have to bring an older person with us so we don't get hurt.

I'm not sure what the changes are, but the technology definitely changed. There are broadbands now, for internet, barely any modems. So we get better internet. And that motivates us to go online everyday. I don't know what to say about all the dangerous people. Maybe they just watch too much television to be stupid enough to harm people and argue with the police, or they might be crazy.

In some ways, being a teenager now is easier because we get better education, and we have better technology. So life isn't that difficult. The bad part about that is we become really lazy and won't get off our butts unless it's something that's really important for us. Our parents though, had a little bit more difficult of a life. They didn't really have or use phones, computers, and other technology things. But during all that boredom, they found ways to have fun, which was playing with their friends. So in a way, that's a good thing because they don't become lazy and sick like most teens do today.

FRIM Trip

Being around so many people for one whole day makes me a little dizzy. I never thought there would be so many people doing the same things I was doing. It felt weird to look around and see forty something kids my age on the same camping trip. The great part about being around that many people is that you don't really fear the rainforest as much as you thought you would. You have friends to help you through hikes and certain activities. They'll support you.

The most hateful thing on the trip was the mosquitoes and the difficult hikes. People already get enough bites from mosquitoes when we're not in the rainforest. People got so itchy and despised the little mosquitoes. And the hikes! Don't even get me started!

The hikes gave you sore legs, arms, and maybe even your own head. You'd climb and climb and you'd stop several times. Sometimes when you're at your best on the hike, the person in front of you would stop abruptly and you'd bump into them, and the person behind you might grab your shirt if they feel like they might fall.

The positive part of the social thing was you always had someone to support you or eat with you, and especially, sleep right next to you if you got scared. The negative part of it is that they might get a little annoying when they ask you to go everywhere with you. Overall though, I would say certain people could cross out the negative part because you always need a friend everywhere you go.

Katie's Mother And Father (Continued)

I think maybe that Katie is closer to her dad, because the way she describes him is so ... admirable. "Our father is proud of us no matter what we do", Katie states. It kind of reveals the admiration she has for her father. She may also feel close to him because she thinks he doesn't judge her too much. Unlike her mother, Katie's father doesn't care if his daughters act manly. He only cares that they don't feel tied down, kind of like a modern dad in America.

Katie and Lynn's mother, though, is more old-fashioned, as I mentioned before. She is more into the works of how she grew up, which was probably not like her own daughters, and maybe she's trying to teach her daughters what she was taught. Doing this to her daughters make them a tad tied down, even Katie, so maybe that's why Katie isn't that close to her mom as much as she is to her dad.

Katie's Mother and Father

Katie's mother is more cultural and old-fashioned. She frowns upon her daughters if they do something she does not approve of. For example; when Katie was talking about the Ainu people, she mentioned that she and Lynn drew moustaches on themselves, everyday for two weeks. During that period of time, Katie said that her mother was "so upset she had to lay down". This proves that her mom expects so highly of her children and will get disappointed when they do something they're not supposed to. Katie's mom seems to be the kind of parent that teaches their children about right and wrong.

Katie's father is quite, like she mentioned. In that sense, he's not really the type to scold. "He's proud of us no matter what we do", as Katie pointed out. Her dad doesn't seem to really care if his daughters aren't feminine like their mother would expect. He does whatever it takes to make Katie and Lynn happy, and it doesn't really matter to him if whatever makes them happy is silly in his wife's eyes. Even though at times he thinks what his daughters do is impolite or wrong, he doesn't yell or raise his voice just the tiniest bit. He's more of the calm type, and he teaches his children to never overreact at certain things.

My Quote

"The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step"
- Lao Tse

I think this is an interesting quote because ... well ... it kind of tells you that you can't get anywhere if you don't start anywhere. For example, if you don't start on a project, you'll never finish it. Even if you take one tiny step, at least you're beginning.

In this case, I think that Lao Tse is talking about change. Since we're in the unit of adolescence, most children can't wait to grow up and be a teenager like their older sibling, or like how they look at other people. Teenagers are somewhat the opposite though. Most teenagers wish they were kids again, little kids who play with building blocks, have snack time, can separate right from wrong ... all those things teenagers like us feel today. In order to grow, we must take one step ... and slowly approach a time in our lives where we make our own decisions and avoid things that can destroy us. Well that's what I think anyway.

"Change is hard", people say, which is probably true to most people, but if you slowly go through the process of change, it's not so bad.