Some Say Love....

"I hold onto the night, you looked me in the eye and told me you loved me"- Forever&Always
" But you were stealing my heart I fell in love in the back of a cop car"- Cop Car Keith Urban
"A world where you and I belong Where faith and love will keep us strong Exactly who we are is just enough"-Theres a Place For Us Carrie Underwood

"For me you'll always be eighteen and beautiful And dancing away with my heart"- Dancin Away with my heart- Lady A 

"Same old empty feeling in your heart 'Cause love comes slow and it goes so fast"-Passenger 

I often look to songs when I think about what love is supposed to be. These quotes come from some of my favorite songs about love, and the words are very applicable to being in a relationship. When I grow up I hope to find a husband who will be my best friend, make me laugh and love me unconditionally. I sometimes think relationships are sugar coated in songs. In media, and especially songs, the story unfolds where two people are in love, something usually bad happens, and the song ends with the two falling back in love. However, in life couples are given daily obstacles to overcome. What I have learned through my parents is that love and marriage is not all about being gushy gushy in love and never getting over the "honeymoon" stage. After 25 years of marriage, my parents are definitely past that. After reading the article, I realized that Angela and her husband may have just grown out of the honeymoon stage. My parents still love each other very much, even after 25 years. However, being in love and being married is much more. Its okay to get in fights and to be sick of each other sometimes, true love is being able to get over the obstacles and realize that not everything is going to be perfect all of the time, but together you will be there to lean on the other person through it all. 

Gender

1.) From a young age, I have always been taught that one should always act and express the way they feel. As a child, I played soccer, softball, basketball, etc. However, I was also a ballerina for 10 years. As I got older, I noticed that boys would play in the dirt at recess while the girls would swing on the swings. I guess from a young age I realized the masculine stereotype for boys, and the feminine one for girls. My parents never told me I had to be a ballerina instead of a soccer player. It was always just what I was interested in. However in middle school I noticed a difference. Girls were considered "weird" if they wore boy things such as shorts and sneakers to school everyday. And boys were "weird" if they didn't play a sport. I think from a young age we are all taught through experience that boys are the "sporty" ones, while girls should be playing with dolls and painting nails.
2.) Having an older brother and an older sister, I have noticed first hand how things can be different between boys and girls. My brother is always the one to help out my dad when fixing things around the house, or even helping him bring in our 12 foot Christmas tree into the house. My sister and I are the two that usually clean up the dishes after dinner or help our mom fold the laundry. These chores have been things we have seen our mom and dad do since we were little, and it has not changed much since we've gotten older.
3.) Going to the Mount has instilled in me a sense of confidence in being a woman. I have learned that society needs more woman leaders, and my classmates and I are the people of the future. In today's society, gender differences are prominent in the work place, and we are the ones who are going to be in charge of changing that. The Mount fosters intelligence in young women, which in turn will change society's view of us in the future.
4.) I think that "back in the day" men and women were very different. By this I mean watching old movies, you see the man open the woman's door when she is getting out of the car, or entering a building. Not that this doesnt happen anymore, but the importance of it has been forgotten. Boys in today's society are being taught to look down on girls or to "use" them. I do think that this is only an issue in immature teenage boys, or maybe that is my biased opinion as a teenage girl hoping that boys will ever become more mature. I think that when boys get older, they realize the importance of gender differences (in a good way) such as holding the door or buying a girl flowers.

Miss Representation

      After watching Miss Representation, and also reading the article on the sexualization of women in todays society, there are many things I have learned, been surprised from, and also things that I had already known. Being a teenage girl in today's world, I have felt the pressure first hand of having to be the most beautiful girl in the room, or the one with the best clothes, just so I will be accepted by others. Not only do girls today do this for boys, but also for the acceptance of other girls as well- to be accepted in the "popular group" at school, or to be invited to the coolest party on the weekend.
     However, these roles of gender have become extreme in today's society. Most often women do not get the proper respect of men, no matter what age. Currently, women in the workplace are usually looked at to be inferior to men. In the political world, women are very scarce. Men are the primary people in every category of politics. The reality of this is simple: Women can do the exact same things that men can do. It is simply a matter of judgement that today's world puts on women, and the fact that they believe we are not as superior as men. As a high school student, preparing for college and soon-to-be member of the work force, it is scary and unpromising to think that I may be discriminated by my gender when it comes to getting a job.
       Although there is a gender "misrepresentation" in society, attending the Mount has taught me a great deal of standing up and being a leader in the world. The Mount has instilled in me a sense of ability that I am able to do whatever I set my mind to, and that no one can tell me differently. I have learned to challenge myself, and also to be competetive. This will help me in the near future when I begin my life in the working world. However, I hope that gender differences will be a thing of the past by that point!

Mission Statement

As a teenager in the Catholic church, I am called to first and foremost be a child of God. It is my mission to make a difference in the lives of many people on earth. I am called to get an education, and learn about my life. As I get older, I hope to prosper both spiritually and mentally. I am inspired to continue to grow in my faith as a Catholic, and to find God in all that I do. It is my mission to spread this knowledge to everyone I encounter in life. I hope to change lives of many people that I meet, by giving them laughter, love and hope to cherish throughout their own life.