My life right now!

Life is pretty......I don't know. Normal.
Conditioning twice a week with gymnastics on top of that. I feel a bit more muscular, but it hasn't been anything new........until SAYMA and Knoxville arrived.
SAYMA was amazing. It was the best out of the two I've gone to. Awesome food, friends, and it was just so much fun.
Knoxville was awesome! Conrad is an amazing (ly gay) tour guide. Even after officially hanging out only once, I love the guy. He's adorably sweet. Fun guy. He's coming to Berea soon and I'm excited. Haha.

But Hannah and I have the same story as far as love lives.
I've heard that it's better to wait for that one person to show up, but it's been a year, so when the time comes, I'm going out searching myself. I may want a friend to tag along with me since it's my first time actually pursuing. I'm ready for it to happen. It just needs to happen.

Now for cheerleading, it's sort of stressful because I have to help raise money (which is vital) and I have to learn stunts and I have to get my back handspring (and standing tuck) by myself by routine camp, when I'm still with a spot and I tried my standing handsprings on the trampoline to show my aunts and grandmother and they all sucked. So many things to do in one tumble. I have to get used to throwing myself backwards, onto my hands, and flip over. Then I have to make it longer and straighten my legs. The only thing I really worry about is not dying. As long as I land on my feet (and not on my shoulder like I did last week) I'm fine most of the time. It's just AGHHHHH! My shoulder even isn't completely healed. It's still sore. Ugh!

So anyway, if I do happen to get injured in the process of all of this, I wouldn't care. It would hurt, but it would free up my schedule and stress. But maybe by the time we go to Nationals and win, it would be worth all of it.

Hmmmmmmm!

HAHAHAHAAAAA!

Please ignore my last post.
It was just one of those little "Oh, my life sucks, I'm useless!" Bull shit things...

But I did need a little pick me up, so I decided to got through some old posts
And I found this post from my Braden! XDD When I read this I really LOL'd so hard I fell out of my chair!


"It was so hilarious. I got ranch on my fingers, so I went to the bathroom and got that off. As I was leaving and going down the hallway, I saw Dylan and we were like :p, Grr, Hiss, etc. Then he put his arm around me and I put mine around his and as we were approaching Hannah and peeps, he told to say, "I'm sorry Hannah." So I did in a slightly gay voice, and Hannah's like, "Get away from my Braden!" Then she hugs me and breaks me apart from Dylan. Dylan is like :O. LOL!"

Haha.
It's these things that make me miss how close we used to be.

Thinking Back...

Fortune cookie quote of the day:
When you need strength, don't think of being impenetrable like a rock. Be a stream. It doesn't look back, but always continues forward. It moves mountains, carves canyons and caves, but knows when to traverse around an obstacle rather than forge through. The water of a stream always reaches its intended destination, one way or another.
~Me (Laura)

Just some things that make me happy.

Oh yes. This picture makes me happy... I just thought I'd share it with you all.







OH MY GOD. -melts-

Life.

So, I haven't posted anything in FOREVER.
It's sad that none of us ever really use this thing anymore.

Anyway my life has been very decent lately.
Nothing has really gotten me down.
And I love the feeling of being happy.
I haven't really had that feeling in a while.
It's nice.

Right now, I'm having a pokemon marathon.
It's epic.
I forgot how much I love the series.
I'm gonna watch it everyday!
Only not really.

Anyway I'm done ranting.
I'll talk to you all later.

XO
-Hannah

So now that I've been caught up...

Okay. First of all, thanks for sending me those notes. I've been feeling awful, so I haven't been checking up on everything on FB, though I really can't believe I missed something this big...

So anyway, let me start out by asking you all if you realize how incredibly, utterly STUPID and RIDICULOUS this whole thing is? You're friends! We're all friends! We all love each other for who they are, even when they have different views that may bug the hell out of us! Honestly!

I might leave next year. Let me tell you now that if I get in, I'm gone. It's too big of an opportunity for me to pass up.

But hell if I leave you all like this.

Hannah: We really do respect your views, okay? Even Braden. I talked to him. I can't speak for everyone, but frankly, your strong views surprised me. That's why I didn't talk for awhile. I hadn't expected that statement, and I'm very used to knowing what to expect from people. Congrats! You're the first person to completely catch me off guard in years. I spent the day thinking it over and trying to connect those beliefs to everything you've said over the years. And you know what? It made sense. And though I can't agree with you, I still love you and respect you for having that opinion and still treating people kindly anyway. You're one of the amazing few who do.I'm pretty sure that we all felt the same way. You've got to realize though, that someone's initial reactions aren't really what they're thinking. You really need to give people time to think about what you've said before immediately deciding that they hate you. We're your friends, girl! You don't need to be paranoid about that so often! :)

I'm sorry I didn't make that connection sooner, so I could have been able to pull myself out of my thoughts and read the others reactions. Maybe then, this whole disaster could have been avoided.

Just remember that some of us have had awful experiences with Christianity. Most involving parents attempting to force certain beliefs upon us. That makes some of us, even me, bitter towards the religion. I'm personally sorry if I've said anything to insult you about it. Bashing has never been my intention. I tend to fight in more of a debating fashion, trying to understand why you believe something that I have never been able to. I don't mean it as attack, only as an attempt to understand. It may seem that way sometimes though.

From now on, if I or anyone else says anything against your opinion, I'd like you to defend it. Hearing your views is interesting. And discussion is never a bad thing. When it turns insulting, however, is when we need to stop and calm down. We may be teenagers, but we need to learn to find that line and stop at it. We'll never get anywhere if we don't.


Braden: That last paragraph goes for you too. Especially the part about calming down. I know you have strong beliefs, and I respect and love that about you, but you have to be able to find that line. People are not always going to believe the same way you do. However, all of the adamant Christians at our table that do believe that being gay is wrong still love and support you. I'm guessing that Hannah's statement must have caught you off guard too. You said a lot of things that I know you regret, and I think you may owe someone an apology(In person. FB doesn't count.)

We all do accept you, you know. You don't have to feel the need to defend yourself all the time when it comes to sexuality. Believe me, you'll want to save your energy for later on in life. People out of Berea are far different. You know all those things that happen all over the place, right? People will do much worse than believe that you will go to hell. You have no need to defend yourself against them. They believe what they believe, and yet have still remained your friend. Honestly, I really respect people who can do that.

So why don't we hold back on the Christianity rants? They still accept you, so you can accept them, right? And if you ever just need to get a good rant out, come talk to me, rather than complaining at the lunch table? I'm forced to go to church too, you know. Though I'm certainly wasn't in as bad of a situation as you were in, I understand most of it. (Though obviously not all ;) )


Taylor: Honey, you are one of the most peace-loving people I know. You hate fighting in all forms, which honestly, can be both a good and a bad thing. You care a lot, but some arguments are necessary. World peace may someday be achieved, but honestly, they day arguments and disagreements disappear is the day we lose our freedom.

Everyone will have their own opinions, and everyone has the right to defend those beliefs. Sometimes, that will mean arguments, especially among the most conflicting ideas. But these arguments are necessary for our beliefs to strengthen and for changes to happen. How can you say that you truly believe in something if you cannot defend it? And if someone is breaking your morals? If I saw a bully going to go beat some poor kid up, I would stop him. If that meant arguing with him, or slamming him into a locker, that's what I'd do. Of course we try the calm way first. Talk him down and everything. But when that doesn't work? Can we really let him continue for the sake of keeping yourself out of fighting? I couldn't. Not at all. And that goes for any strong belief I hold. I can and will defend those beliefs and morals. As is my right. As is everyone's right.

When that right is taken away, or even if we do not feel the need to uphold it, we have lost our freedom. There will always be someone that you must defend your beliefs against.

That doesn't mean, of course, that we can't still be civil. And between friends, we should be. That doesn't mean that we can't debate or argue, it just means that we have to be aware of that line where we go too far. Personally, I love debating with you guys. You have no idea how much I learn about you every time I argue/debate with you. Plus, most of the time, it's fun. I can see where some could find it stressful though. And I do have some theories about you, Tay... Watching you, it's almost as if you channel everyone's arguments into yourself and end up exploding or getting upset. I'll talk to you about it later, as it is fairly off topic with this note, but I think that I might be able to help if I'm right... Anyway, we'll talk meditation techniques later, hm?


Kaylyn: I know you haven't had much to do with this, but I know what your beliefs are, and I honestly feel sorry for you sometimes. I can't imagine believing in something that would put most of my friends in hell... I don't blame you though. I honestly respect you for sticking with us anyway. :) Also, though you've stayed out of it, it must bother you too when we talk about Christianity. Sorry kay! Just look up at what I said to Hannah about it. And don't we afraid to express your opinion! We're not mad, just trying to understand... At least I am, and I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one. ;) Love ya girl!


Lekey: So... How out of the loop do you feel? Love you girl! :)



Anyway guys, can we make a truce to try and keep behind that line? We can't be afraid to tell our beliefs to our friends. It's not right. And we're going to have some disputes. But who cares!? We're friends, right? Which means that we can get over these things and that we can accept and love one another even when our ideas differ. I really wish that I could tell all of this to you in person, but it needed to get to you quickly, and I can't talk much as it is. :p

I love yo all, even if I seem distant sometimes. And we've all been friends for too long to let a dispute like this ruin it.

So. Truce, everyone?

It's all good!

Read title!

Lunch line complications...

Long story short, some words were exchanged in the lunch line that shouldn't have be exchanged at all.

Hannah, I am sorry I said that, though it was really unfair that I was in line longer, and I didn't even try to touch you, yet you tried to pull me out of the line by the strap on my bag. It seemed that you didn't even care I was in line longer.

Yes this whole thing is childish itself, but people just don't cut people and pull them out of line when they're cut for getting cut.

The line would be less complicated and less crowded if people actually started out in the back of the line and not on the SIDE!

if home is where the heart is

Then we're all just f*cked.

Things are going nowhere for me. Well, maybe they are, but it's down. And this time I know it's not PMS. You've seen me. You know what I'm talking about.

I know I'm distant, I know I'm not the talking type. But you know, maybe if you tried talking to me, I'd talk! It's not like I'm just going to go up to you and start telling you my problems. If you're worried, talk to me. And don't be discouraged if I don't respond at first. I'm so used to hiding that it takes time for me to come out of my shell. But I need you guys more than ever. I don't know what's happening to me, I don't know how it's going to end. I just know it has to end sometime.

Help me.

Okay....

Not to worry. I am completely fine now. Another year of preparation won't be bad in comparison to gymnastics (which took 3 years to get back too). So now I have something to focus on.
I am considering going to Regional to support my team and see people and meet new people. It'll be fun!