I'm not sure that we're growing up at all.  Children stay at home longer now, and with the way society seems to be encouraging self-absorption, I don't think people possess much emotional maturity.  Our technology may be advancing at an alarming rate, but I don't think that can necessarily be equated with psychological progress.

Mania, then mild depression.  I'm not bipolar, but my anxiety is manifesting in mood swings right now.  I'll be fine in a couple of months.  Until then I need to do some serious breathing exercises, perhaps some meditation. 

Quality of life.  In my opinion, a key part of enhancing life lies in sufficiency.  We need enough food, water, medicine, and shelter for everyone in every part of the world.

Being at home.  I moved back in with my parents until I leave for graduate school, but for some reason being here--the place where I grew up--inspires laziness in me.  I love my family, but I feel like I need to get away from them for a while in order to be productive.  It's just too relaxing here.

Another distraction:  craigslist.com.  I use it all the time to search for furniture for my new apartment.  I'll even look for things that I've already got just to determine if I'm happy with my purchase.  Hmm, do I like that antique dresser better?  Should I have held out and bought that one?  Craigslist is addictive to bargain shoppers.

I'm one of those annoying people who hasn't actually had to endure much, if any, real suffering in her life.  My response when I see someone else suffering is that of sympathy and repulsion at the same time:  sympathy for the person, repulsion at the affliction. 

I think it's actually easier to avoid the suffering of others for the most part.  Why allow yourself to be constantly affected by it?  It would drive you crazy.  You can't help everyone.  You can't save every life, no matter how much you want to. 

That being said, I can be a very compassionate person.  I just have to choose a focus and then act.  If I don't dedicate myself a few reasonable endeavors, nothing will get done.  I want to make a difference in the world, even if I can't save it.

An apology from one of my best friends.  Sadly, I have yet to receive it.  In this case, I'm being patient, but I'm also speculating about his thoughts, his motivations...or what if something terrible has happened and that's why he hasn't contacted me? 

There are also times when I have to wait and I'm very impatient.  For example, I don't like waiting for a member of staff to come fix the self checkout machine at Kroger.  I don't like waiting on the phone, being passed around to different extensions, searching for the ONLY person on a campus of 35,000 students and certainly a good number of faculty who can answer my questions about campus housing.  I also don't like waiting on my paycheck. 

The word "waiting" inspires anxiety in me, while "being present" compels my patience.  In other words, waiting is annoying, but staying with someone when he/she needs you is not an option.  How could I possibly go?

My AP English teacher told us that at the end of our senior year, we'd be transformed from caterpillars to butterflies.  Sometimes I think I'm stuck in the cocoon.

I'm one of those people who can eat whatever I want without affecting my weight, so I often struggle to make healthy choices.  If I can eat a whole cake without gaining weight, what is my incentive?  I'm sure whoever is reading this hates me right now.

Food and I haven't always had such a carefree relationship, though.  If I'm stressed out, food and I won't take the time to connect except maybe once a day.  Sometimes it's just a cheap piece of food I pick up on the way home, something I don't intend to form a solid relationship with at all.

I know I need to be healthy internally, but it's still hard.  I've never cared much for fast food, but I love sweets and inhale them at every given opportunity.  However, I don't like much meat, so I eat mainly seafood, fruit, and vegetables.  I also take a vitamin supplement and drink hot tea and Fruit2O.  I guess I'm really not that bad.

 

I don't associate summer with mystery so much as I do freedom.  The long days make me feel like I actually have more time.  In the summer, seven hours of sleep is enough, and I can sit on the deck and sip a mimosa at nine o'clock with a little daylight left.  When I was younger, my sister and I would run through the woods around our house and play softball and the recreation center.  My grandfather made "scooped fruit," which was just a combination of citrus fruits in a large jar, but it always tasted great.  I love summer; I love sun; I love feeling free.

After I graduated from college, I actually developed a small social life and some hobbies.  I got a job, read books for fun, and still took random classes.  I'd finally achieved balance. 

I'm about to go to graduate school, and this question gets at the heart of why I've hesitated for so long.  In addition to not being able to decide what I wanted to do, I hated the idea of returning to my obsessive routine of study, sleep, and eat if you have time.  I actually started to enjoy life when I graduated.  I didn't work until I finished college, so suddenly I had money and could do things other than study.  I dread losing that newly developed social facet of my life. 

I often sacrifice balance in order to excel in my studies.  It's like an addiction for me.  Strive for perfection.  "Don't go out tonight; you might miss something if you don't reread this passage."  I'm going to have to make a conscious effort to be more well-rounded for the next couple of years.