Rec Ball

Many people think the Rec isn't safe.  Often times people consider it a place for gangsters to do drugs.  However, I have never thought of the Rec that way.  Ever since my brothers started their basketball career, I have always been found at the Rec.  Whether it be to cheer on my brothers from the sidelines or do score board at the table.  The Rec has always been my safe place.

In the past, Thursdays were when the Rec was the livest.  If you were a stranger passing by, you would instantly hear whistles blown and voices screaming.  All the benches would be filled, often times I would have to sit on the floor.  On this day, the oldest division, 14u, played.  High school players coached, middle school kids plays, and elementary kids watched.  Thursdays at the Rec were days for the community to come together.

On registration day this year, only four kids signed up to play 14u....  Five kids are needed to play on team.  Therefore, there no longer is Rec Ball on Thursdays.  Instead of Rec Ball three days a week- Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, there are only two days.  High school coaches are now college students, stressing out about Finals rather than winning a game.  Middle school kids are playing high school ball now and the elementary kids are too young to play 14u. There isn't as much interest for basketball as there had been before.

It's quite sad to see Rec Ball slowly fall apart... However, I'm hoping that soon, there will be more kids interested in playing basketball at the Rec.  I'm hoping that when I have kids (A LONG TIME FROM NOW), I'll be able to sign them up for Rec Ball.  Instead of being a cheerleader or scorekeeper, I'll be one of those crazy parents.

2017 is almost near....

Everyone I asked had said high school would be amazing.  It would be a place where you meet new friends and really find your true self.  But, I had already met my best friend, Emily Canizalez, in middle school.  Also, I was never one to conform, I already had my own strong beliefs that absolutely no one would be able to change.  When I entered freshman year, we had a meeting in the gym with everyone that was a part of the Class of 2017.  Our class advisor, Ferro, ended the meeting saying "this is going to be the BEST four years of your life."  However, I thought to myself "this is going to be the LONGEST four years of my life."

I became Freshman Class President and people started to look up to me.  I joined ASB and ultimately, I gained a second family.  I never struggled with school work- I had A's and B's.  I wasn't being put into trashcans on "Freshman Fridays" and I never had anyone bully me.  I didn't have a terrible start to my high school experience.  Then came sophomore year.  Ferro said how kids need to stop complaining about high school because it goes by so quickly and it's something you will never get back.  After sophomore year, comes junior year and then you will be an S-word and it will all be over.  I never thought anything of it..  I'm in my second year of high school, graduating just seems so far away.

The other day when my mom came home she said "Alannah, you're planning on leaving me?"  I was confused but then I realized she was talking about college.  I asked "where to?"  She said "Minnesota."  Minnesota is 1,947 miles away, a 30 hour drive or a 6 hour flight.  For so long I've been saying I want to go to school out of state (I still do) but oh my, Minnesota is so far away.....  Minnesota isn't even the farthest college I've gotten a letter from because now i'm getting an abundance of college letters and emails.  I have a pile of mail just growing in the corner of my room and I have no clue what to do with it.

We are a second month into the new year.  We have four more months of school left, four more months until summer.  Before, I was so excited for summer to come.  But now I just want everything to slow down.  I'm realizing junior year is coming and pretty soon I'll need to decide what I want to major in or what college I want to go.  High school is going by so fast, 2017 is right around the corner.  

So, embrace high school and go to basketball games or watch the upcoming school play or try something new.  Whatever you do, take Ferro's advice and stop complaining about high school.  It's going to be over with the blink of an eye.

ASB 13-14

Class Council

*cough*cough*

I am like a car.  If I get oil changes, rotate tires and keep the car running by putting in gas, I am perfectly fine.  But when I start to forget about maintenance and stop putting gas in, I stop performing as well as I had before.

When I start to stress, I tend to stop taking care of myself too.  Eating three meals becomes less of a priority and on many occasions, forgotten.  I stop touching my phone and social media is never checked.  If I have an assignment due, meetings to attend or fundraiser to schedule, I tell myself I MUST get it done.  My main focus becomes school or ASB or Class of 2017.  I put aside nourishing myself and when I actually have time to, I'm either too tired or it's way too late to be eating.  There are times where I'll sleep for two hours then have to wake up ready to function for the new day.  I work myself too hard and when I really need to be healthy, my body is exhausted.

I am one to scold people for skipping breakfast because in my opinion, it seriously is the most important meal of the day.  But lately, I haven't been eating breakfast.  I'll warm up my food during fourth period but I get so busy I forget to eat it.  Then I have to warm up my lunch again and even then I don't finish all off my food.  At night time I get home late or I'm just so concerned about homework that I won't eat dinner,  Sometimes my mom will remind me to eat, but I ignore her and make her put dinner in the fridge.

The past few weeks, I've been sneezing more and my nose has been running.  I have upper respiratory allergies, so it's kind of normal.  I just have to take an additional amount of medicine at night and I SHOULD be good to go.  Last night, I had a dry cough,  This morning my throat hurt extremely.  When I went to school I texted my mother "I feel like I'm dying." She wanted to pull me out of class but I said no.  After school, my auntie took me to the doctors and my pediatrician told me it's my asthma.  Asthma causes me to cough and coughing causes me to have a headache and having a headache makes me want to pass out.

Currently, I am running on a fever of 102.1.  I am on a number of medicines.  I am not eating because I do not have an appetite.  I try to sleep but when I wake up I am reminded of the numerous homework assignments that need to get finished.  I am in tears because I am in SO MUCH pain.  I am honestly a hot mess.

Finals are next week, I can't afford to miss school.  I'm stuck between caring for myself and caring for my grade.