Teenage Indecision

I’ve never been effective nor dedicated to keeping blogs or vlogs maintained. My focus goes. I forget. I move on. But sometimes I have ideas or thoughts that I feel the need to share.

About to depart for university in the fall, I realized the amount of decisions that need to be made. But also how the small choices we make daily reflect who we are.

I felt like going home at lunch, but could not remember where my house keys were. That ended that idea.
I spent 3.00 on some cheesy garlic bread things at the school cafeteria instead of driving to Tim Hortons to get a sandwich, donut and drink for about 7. Because I did not feel like driving.

Even now while I type this I should be working on an assignment due today. But I’m not.
This amount of procrastination is far from admirable.

But these choices are not necessarily effecting me in an extremely negative way. I might be hungry later and spend money I can’t afford to spend because I am unemployed. I might feel slightly sickened from eating caf food. But I’ll survive. I will deal with the fact that my teacher and my mother will be peeved that my work isn’t handed in. It will be done tonight, but won’t be able to reach its destination til Tuesday morning.

These choices are not overly detrimental.
Not compared to fellow peers who never attend school anymore. Old friends who dropped out and I see once every couple of months walking on the street. Those who come to class high. The ones who mess with peoples’ cars in the back parking lot. The students who call others names or think it’s acceptable to debate about whether it’s okay to call something gay in wood working class. The ones whose minds are closed. Or do not see their choices.

It’s frustrating. The school over the past five years has become much more open minded and accepting of diversity. The Gay Straight Alliance has helped a lot. But there are still posters torn down for events or they are vandalized. There are also groups of kids still using derogatory words. But I guess we can’t change everyone in the world. It’s not entirely their fault.

If parents were more open minded, more accepting, more willing of certain societal aspects, perhaps we could overcome the prejudices faced in our world. Granted, there are hundreds of other factors affecting our ability to achieve equality.

I only wish our younger generations would be more willing to see the impact of even their simplest of choices.

Desolate Hallways And Empty Classrooms

High school is a finicky thing to begin with. Especially when it comes to course selections.

Now...to make it even more of a challenge, let's have two under populated schools on either ends of the Downtown. The West. And. The East. Yes, school rivalries are always a delight to have, however this season the West doesn't have a Boys' Rugby team. The East doesn't have a Grade 12 Chemistry. Next year they are not running Fashion or Media Studies, perhaps not even Writers' Craft.

And many other courses.

Enrollment is down and it has been declining for the past couple of years in this area. There are not enough students to support two high schools each designed for over 1000 students. Classrooms are left unused. Entire hallways of lockers are left bolted. And a lot of classes are not running.

Would it not be best to close the older, slightly decrepit, non-wheelchair accessible school down and have everyone merge at the newer school of two floors only with elevator access, a greenhouse, spacious cafeteria, a track around the back playing field and a courtyard?

Well, probably.

But then there becomes school board politics which hardly anyone is 100% privileged to understand. If the members even understand themselves.

Regardless, the numbers are dropping and the population can no longer sustain two high schools without having any more cuts on classes, sports teams or over all education. A change is needed sooner rather than later.

Through The Smudged Window Pane

It's a Sunday morning. The birds are chirping, clouds are moving in and it appears to be a bit cool out. The people in the neighbourhood may or may not be up yet, but I know for a fact where it is most likely desolate.

Downtown.

All but a few stores are closed on Sundays, making it difficult for people who have today as their free day to support the local businesses. It is even challenging to find a good cup of coffee. (Unless you try the free sample at Ten Thousand Villages).

Even during the week, most businesses do not open until after 8am, thus making it impossible for a high school goer to browse shops in the mornings.

Our town is populated mainly by the aging population. Perhaps being open early or staying open late wouldn't benefit any of the businesses. But, if a trend could be created, that businesses make a pact to stay open later, would that work?

No.

It's been tried around Christmas season, again and again. Very few stores benefit, from what I've read and heard.

So... Does that mean the people of the town go to bed early, have a lot of shift workers, can't be bothered to shop in the downtown?

Most likely.

If only there was a coffee shop open for me to sit and stare out the window onto the barren street this Sunday morning, I would be there. With a slightly bitter taste in my mouth.