World Problem

Living in the information age, humans are conscious of their global surroundings though many remain unresponsive to the world issues we face today. Many of the problems we face are caused by conflicting ideas from diverse societies, connecting and dividing the world two-fold. The credibility gap between nations and its small states have always withheld countries accountable in moving forward. One of the biggest struggles we face as a society is poverty. An impoverished global community  is clearly viewed as the world's most serious problems. Apart from the fact that poverty can arise from injustice and violation of rights in general, poverty can itself creates injustice and deprives people of their proper rights or their ability to claim their rights. If one lacks the ability or resources to claim rights, that may reasonably in itself be seen as an injustice. How do we progress through these contradictory lifestyles? Is it our job as the "privileged" ones to lift others up to our social development? Do we even have a right to meddle in? It's not a matter of helping to help feed our own conscious but to truly effect change. We must relinquish the role of western arrogance and learn how to humble ourselves as Americans and find a way to fix and sustain the future. 

What I Would Teach

I would teach a class on Harry Potter Literature. In this course, the core reading would consist of all 7 Harry Potter novels. In the first semester, there would be a race at the beginning of the year to see who can read each book the fastest. For the second semester we would provide daily discussions on different aspects of J.K. Rowling's work, including the mastery of witchcraft and wizardry, philosophical understanding of Quidditch along with a debate to decide which side Snape is really on. This class would provide creative thinking and wonderful entertainment.  Students must use personal knowledge and understanding of Harry Potter to create visuals that reveal the characteristics of theme, plot, and undertones of betrayal by major and minor characters. Students are also expected to participate through watching the released Harry Potter movies and partake in a field day solely dedicated to the game of Quidditch.

*I really hope everyone understands my sarcasm in this post. Maybe not, it's okay.

Time

Chaos         Cyclical     Linear

History has no path or predictability

                                Man is not in control with his destiny

We have no link to cause and effect, unable to predict the truth.

    Enjoy life in its randomness

Man is linked to natural events (seasons & planets)

We travel in circles

Consistent in repetition

Time is endless; completed then renewed

We cannot stop this natural flow, but merely better prepare ourselves for it

A uniquely progressing story

We play a vital role in our own destiny

Each generation gets better & progressing into the future

Man has improved scientifically, economically & politically

Three Words

Sigh No More

         ~Mumford & Sons 

Serve God love me and mend
This is not the end
Lived unbruised we are friends
And I'm sorry
I'm sorry

Sigh no more, no more
One foot in sea, one on shore
My heart was never pure
And you know me
And you know me

And man is a giddy thing
Oh man is a giddy thing
Oh man is a giddy thing
Oh man is a giddy thing

Love it will not betray you, dismay or enslave you,
It will set you free
Be more like the man you were made to be.
There is a design,
An alignment to cry,
Of my heart to see,
The beauty of love as it was made to be

Finish Line

What achievements have you made in high school 

R-S Central: I’m really glad I got into UNC Chapel Hill. Before moving to North Carolina I actually wanted to go to Carolina, so when I moved here I knew I had a better chance in actually getting in and I did! Being apart of Junior Miss has helped me a lot getting to branch out into the community. I’ve been able some really great people at state and I think it has helped me relate to other people as well. Lastly, being named an Outstanding Senior for R-S has made me felt more connected to the school.  I am also proud of my academic record (for the most part), but school isn't just defined by grades, but also experience. 

... what opportunities did you miss? 

Even though it was a personal choice not to go to Disney, I still sometimes wonder what it would have been like to go with my new graduating class at Central. Sophomore year, I went to Disney with my high school and it definitely was a highlight in my life. However, I decided not to go because I have had a lot of opportunities in high school and I thought it was important to let my older brother Ryan go and enjoy his own Senior Experience without having his little sister overstep any boundaries. So even though I wonder what my experiences would have been like, I think it was good for me to step back and let my brother have a good senior experience without me. 

I think I missed out getting to know some really great people. When I moved here, I was excited to get to know my new classmates and meet new people, creating the same level of friendships as I did back home, but I really never gave myself the opportunities to do so. I spent a lot of time getting involved in school and the community that I never set aside time to get to really get to know anyone. Seeing that I am about to graduate in one month, I am frustrated and regret not really getting to know my classmates. If  I am ever given the chance to meet up with these people in the future, I am definitely not letting that second chance go to waste! 

Again, missing out on random senior moments. I guess because I didn’t grow up here, I didn’t have the same level of understanding as a lot my classmates. I do not hold the same sense of tradition and pride, which I think has left me detached in having the same feelings of excitement becoming a senior. Instead, I wait. I wait for college, for leaving, anything that may constitute as change so I can finally be on the same level as everyone else. A lot of times instead of thinking about my legacy at R-S, I tend to think about my old potential at Medina. Graduating with my friends, going to state, Hinkley, Crocker Park, spending the summers camping and hiking. I just feel that there is no way for me to accurately reflect my time here in Rutherfordton because I have not given it the chance that it deserves. As I long for my life back in Ohio, I am losing the potential in North Carolina.

What moments will you never forget? 

Going to high school raves. These were by far one of my fondest memories at Molly Roup’s house. They were usually thrown in the winter, because it was sooo cold in Ohio, the only way we could get warm was dancing it off. Now, these raves didn’t pertain to the usual negative connotations, they were actually fun. Molly’s Raves were definitely the best in Medina. The music was classic with 11h30 and Hypercrush, and the basement had plenty of room to participate in wild dancing. I’ve always wished Rutherford County natives could experience the rave scene. Seriously, best thing of my life. 

The random adventures with my old Ohio friends. Sophomore year was filled with Hinkley Park, trekking around Medina, driving all the way home on South 42, camp outs, Eaten Park, attempting to sky dive, living, laughing, and loving to our fullest capacities. I loved all the experiences with Catherine, Danielle, Eleni, and Angela. Awkward in our ways, we dealt with drama and heartache, stupid inside jokes, making big deals out of little things, and managed to survive and graduate high school. Even though I didn't graduate with my Medina class, I am proud of my former classmates for their successes. These people will remain as a highlight to my high school experience and has truly impacted my life in a multitude of ways. Thank you for all of your love & support, I love you guys so much!!

Moments with Sarah  Miller. I can't really describe it.

How have you changed in high school  and who has helped you with this? 

I think I have become more reflective and less overcome with little issues. Open-minded, the students at R-S Central have taught me how to be more connected to the world on a global level (despite the tininess of the town itself) and have shown me a different approach looking at life. Before, I tended to be very school oriented and faced a lot of pressure, but now I am ready to enjoy life and everything it has to offer outside of the school walls and embrace experience in all its contexts. 

What has been the single greatest thing you have learned or gained in high school and how has it affected who you are will become? 

I am really glad I can read and understand poetry. It wasn’t a big interest to me until we started reading and annotating poetry in Mrs. Pittman’s class. Reading poetry has now provided another outlet for me to express myself and to learn about life as well. 

The Dilemma

To laugh is to risk appearing a fool.

To weep is to risk appearing sentimental.

To reach out for another is to risk involvement.

To expose feelings is to risk rejection.

To place your dreams before the crowd is to risk ridicule.

To love is to risk not being loved in return.

To go forward in the face of overwhelming odds is to risk failure.

But risks must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.

The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, is nothing.

He may avoid suffering and sorrow, but he cannot learn, feel, change, grow or love.

Chained by his certitudes, he is a slave. He has forfeited his freedom.

Only a person who dares to risk is free.

It is important not to let others expectations intimidate you. Take on your life with full-force and live your life through your own eyes rather than through others. Be your own person! Lead a Good Life! 

Stream of Conciousness

What I want, more than anything else, is a new perspective.

Even though I have enjoyed the diversity a public school setting has provided for me at Medina and at Central, I still don't have a sense of fulfillment. I actually feel more or less confused experiencing these very different but special environments....

 I want to know how to harness what I have learned and use it in a productive way.  I don’t know if college will allow me to nurture this feeling, this need to do something about what I have learned. My schooling and love for learning has always been a defining characteristic for me, and I have always taken this in great stride, but right now I don't know if all my schooling is being put into good use.

Learning is a source for knowledge, the ability to adapt and change ways of thinking, letting it be okay if ideals clash because it identifies the variety of the human experience.

Learning and living is an EXPERIENCE,

cultivated on a daily basis and constantly redefined.  Without a sense of change or epiphany in knowledge, searching to discover the answer for ourselves can seem pretty meaningless. I just don't understand why people constantly search for the perfect answer.

I used to be a culprit, but now I realize being different doesn't mean you're wrong or unsuitable, I think it partially distracts us from the true fear of letting our own light shine and being different. We live in a society in which people demand the pictures of life to be constructed in

black and white,

with strict rigid guidelines and no shading left in between. So many people are missing the colors of life! I worry that my life has been defined by these same black and white photographs, where I am seen and defined by my

achievements rather than my core moral principals.

I am extremely proud of my accomplishments in life, grateful for the sense of perspective and direction they have given me, but I want to be DEFINED by something else, something more meaningful that can truly make an impact.

GLOBAL CITIZEN YEAR could let me revisit my vigor and sense of being, letting me take a year to learn my own ways of self-sustainability, reshaping and putting into context the true issues that lie ahead in our global community.

Story Bird

Dreamweavers

Simply Sarah

The good things about being Sarah are:

I like good music: 

People can relate through music. To me, "good music" doesn't mean that phrases have to be catchy or the chords necessarily clean, but the passion and conviction in a singer's voice is conveyed and captured. I like it when I can be thrusted into a new world with music. It's absolutely marvelous. 

I am Messy:

So many people consider me uptight and stressed, and that is true. Honestly, I am an utter mess. But no matter if I am overworked or slightly idle, I like being a little off-key and somewhat off balance. It makes life slightly more interesting. 

Folk-singers: 

I am really into folky music...Bob Dylan, Kimya Dawson, Avett Bros, Mumford & Sons, basically anything off of WNCW. They just speak volumes to me in a way that I feel my life is being slowly enriched. 

Reading: 

Just being informed, I like reading or listening about the world and others life experiences. 

Smiling:

Even though it doesn't seem like I smile a lot, when I feel free I cannot help but smile, especially at the simplicities of life. Right now sitting on my porch, I'm listening to Matt Costa and attempting to find inspiration from the trees in my backyard. I'm not quite sure if it's helping me write this journal, but it's nice just to be outside. 

Passion: 

As I attempt to work towards being more and more genuinely me while not being intimidated by others expectations, I realize that my zest and vigor for life is finally coming back to me after months and months being dormant. I don't know, maybe it's just me looking at the trees again. 

Spanish:

I like speaking it. 

Freedom:

I like being free to do my own thing, and I think for the most part, I'm pretty good at it. 

Work Ethic: 

Hand in hand with learning, I think my work ethic is part of what makes me, me. You only get out of life what you put in, right? 

Resentment

It took me awhile to forgive my parents when they told me we were moving from Ohio to small-town Rutherfordton in North Carolina. My parents’ intentions were scoped around my father’s job and there was no option in this case; we had to move. 

Even though my brother and I mustered up the courage to tell our folks we were okay with it, in all honesty we were scared. What about high school, what about friends, how is this going to impact our future? Personally, I worried and stressed over making friends and fitting in, but I also considered the opportunity to create a new lifestyle within this southern living. I met new people, swam endlessly in our new pool, and looked forward to the fresh start. I even began mapping out a quest of places to visit around town. I must admit, I was excited when I drove to Forest City all by myself and finally figured out where Central was. But like anything else, the newness wore off and I finally had to accept the fact this is will be (and has been) my permanent home for the next two years.

I used to believe my life contained the best of both worlds; the ability to explore something different but still know I had friends to fall back on.  But after months of being away, I started to see my relationships drift. They too were moving on and enjoying their lives in high school, starting where they left off last year while I stood at the starting line, thrown into an atmosphere full of unknown people. I didn’t know what to do, whether I should detach myself from my new community or let go of my past. Unfortunately I have been stuck in limbo ever since this question formulated in my head. Though I attempt to retain both in all its integrity, I know one day time and willpower will have its final say. In the end, I will lose. I initially blamed these obstacles on my parents, that it was their fault forcing us to move in the middle of high school but reflecting back, but now it has turned into one of the biggest learning experiences in my life. However cliche this will end up sounding, the truth still resides in these words of trial & tribulation: Sometimes we're in the valley and other times we're on the mountaintop. It's what you do during those graceful and destructive periods that really count for something worth living for. I don't resent my parents anymore because I know there were other reasons besides the comforts of my familiarity. They too have to live.

Rambling Shenanigans

A man who as a physical being is always turned toward the outside, thinking that his happiness lies outside him, finally turns inward and discovers that the source is within him.

~Soren Kierkegaard

A couple months ago, I came across the teachings of Soren Kierkegaard in a philosophy book I was reading. I actually found this quote after finishing the Kite Runner and for some reason it has stuck with me ever since. I don’t know if it was just the underlying themes of redemption and betrayal resonating within me after reading about Afghanistan or rather just a reawakening of a different kind of feeling that allowed me to tie this Kierkegaard quote with the writings of Hosseini. All I know is something- most likely in the subconscious- must have happened.

One thing that I have truly struggled with since moving to Rutherfordton is the ability to “be that self which one truly is.” Conditioned to worry about society's needs and wants, I have been presenting an image that everyone wants me to be, which tends to make me seem a lot more conceited and arrogant than I really am (sorry guys!). However, instead of fulfilling this prophesy from society, I intend to take a different approach. An optimistic "Sarah Coyne" approach. Here are some of the things I have pondered & reflected upon these past couple of months: 

Not trying to sound nostalgic and apprehensive or upset with graduating and moving on to college, the idea of forever friends for many fades. And it’s not only an epiphany that you didn’t like the person anymore. Time places a burden on friendships. 

I am grateful that I keep in contact with Medina friends, and I know that the bond we once had will never be as strong, distance squashed many remnants of my Medina experience. I know a lot of people from Rutherfordton. We plan to keep many of the friendships we currently. This is great. This also takes a lot of work. Though this post is stringing together new formed insights, it shows what I have learned while living here as well. Hopefully this post can shed light about me and my personal circumstances. 

Currently, I am done savoring and remembering every morsel of every cliché that amounts to happiness. Though I have talked about that a lot within my blogs (achieving happiness), I find myself struggling with the simple notion of how to attain this bliss. I decided that maybe if I unveiled a little bit of myself through what I have personally learned from experience, hopefully it can help unite a source for understanding and achieving some form of contentment for me and for others around:

These past two years have been difficult. No lie. A lot has to do with living in the type of community in the midwest and partially coming to the realization that I am going to have to make a very important choice about my future. Do I develop myself in college, or do I rebel and leave those “securities” and “comforts” behind? I think at this point a lot of what children that are growing up and becoming adults deal with is the scary reality that  dreams and wishful thinking come do at a cost, and dreams are attained with a cost. Once we realize this, we have to decide how much we’re going to pay. We have to put in effort in order to reach our goals.

 

Referring to Robert Frost’s poem “Road Not Taken” there are choices we must make that will not be easy or comforting. Many of the choices we make will be hard and possibly unsatisfactory to our standards. I am killing the American dream right now, but sometimes the only way to see life objectively is to become a realist. However, remaining a realist and looking at everything in a “so it goes” way doesn’t really lead to much great success either. I know a lot of people do not believe in the “leap of faith” and it’s alright if you don’t, I’m still meddling around in that arena as well. But faith doesn’t have to mean a religious leap or testament. The standards can be whatever you want. The purpose of a leap is to stretch, to expand out of the confines and do it, and this, in a sense, IS the American Dream; a leap of faith. 

That’s why it is important to have finite goals. What’s the point of living if the mere source of your existence is complacency? I must admit that I have been there and senior year for many firmly attests this, but remember the inner-self, the inner-connection, and using what you’ve learned productively. I am an avid believer in helping others and I think it is extremely important to give back. Not only does it humble oneself but it provides the true understanding of humanity, something so many of us have forgotten over the years in our quest to be totally in-tune with ourselves and our own demands. So as I ramble and comment on random aspects of life, my main mission is to say this: 

It’s okay if you’re wrong some days and right on others. It’s understandable if you change your beliefs, so long as you know in that point in your life you know and feel that that choice is best for you. These traits of going between spheres of influence does not make one a hypocrite, it makes each and every one of us human. Redeem yourself, attempt to prosper, learn many things, and use those teachings in a dynamic and helpful way.

Raising A Child

When raising a child it is important to instill...

Creativity: Allow them to decide what they want to be. Just act as a guide, let them make the decisions.

Failure: How else is it evident that you've hit rock bottom if you've never experienced it?

Love: Tell your child you love them. A lot.

Traveling: Take your child everywhere with you. Let them see the world through their own eyes.

Open Mindedness: Let them pursue the crazy and unconventional.

Photos

Medina Musical Bees

....perfect in all its lonliness

Tangalooma Shipwrecks
Feeding Wild Dolphins & Sand tobogganing in Australia

Playing at State Capella Theatre in Russia

Boston Mass.

Favorite Poet: e.e. cummings 

Powerful Intensity: Sistine Chapel


Angus & Julia Stone

Salvation Mountain

Pet Peeve

Though many would consider this a ridiculous pet peeve, I hate it when people touch my neck.  I cannot recall when this odd fetish began, but I know I’ve been terrified at the thought of people touching my neck since I was about twelve or thirteen. Some people have given me a hard time about it, violating my personal space just to be funny. I’ve never hurt anyone due to my awkwardness, but I have become extremely uncomfortable and squeamish over it. It’s never been a big problem, but I can recall many accounts where after I told someone about my neck fetish they instantly begin poking at my neck.