The Man in the Mirror

There is no escaping the fact that our country is extremely divided right now. I normally make it a point to avoid talking about topics that could be seen as controversial, such as religion or politics. But I have to make an exception this one time because this has been weighing on my mind for quite some time.

Whether it is racism, differing political views or whether or not it is disrespectful for NFL players to take a knee during the national anthem, Americans are upset. And don't get me wrong, people have a right to be upset about important issues. But I have realized that even though people go on the various social media outlets and post about their anger towards the different situation, no one is actually doing anything.

I can understand using social media accounts to spread awareness for issues. I applaud that. But what I don't understand is people going on social media outlets and spreading hate or complaining about issues without actually doing anything about them. Every time that I log into my Facebook account, I see at least a dozen posts from various people talking about how our country is in trouble. But often times, they are complaining about other people. They say things like, "If only these people thought the way that I thought, things would be better" or "If only these people would stop acting the way that I don't want them to, the world would be a better place".

I recognize that there are tons of people in our country that are not acting the way that they should. But berating people that you don't know on Facebook doesn't do anything to solve the actual problem. Why don't people focus on the man in the mirror instead? Why don't people stop waiting for other people to make changes and make changes themselves instead? Posting your annoyances on Facebook is literally the least that you can do to make change. I guarantee that absolutely nothing will happen. But you know what can happen? You can start making positive changes in your life and start doing your best to make the lives of others better.

Kindness is contagious but for some reason, people choose to spread hate because they think that it's easier. It's easier to complain about an issue instead of actually doing something about it. But if you're unhappy about anything in this life, it is up to you to do something about it. Not anyone else.

Social media was created to help people keep in touch with their friends and to share your lives with others. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc., are great outlets for spreading awareness of issues as well. But it isn't an outlet for you to cram your political opinions down my throat. It is not an acceptable place to bash the opinions of others just because they disagree with you. It is not a platform for you to whine about how the world is unfair even though you are doing nothing to change it.

Look at the man in the mirror and realize that change truly does start with you. If you're unhappy with the political climate, get involved. If you're unhappy with how Americans are treating each other, make sure that you do your part to teach your children what acceptable behavior is and then be an example of that when you're interacting with others.

I get so tired of being disheartened by all of the hate and negativity that seems to appear on my newsfeed every time that I log onto my social media outlets. How about instead we choose kindness? We choose to get involved? We choose to make a difference and stop waiting for others to do it for us? Stop holding your breath waiting for others to make the changes that you are capable of making yourself.

Our country might be divided right now, on multiple issues. But you know what? It doesn't have to stay that way. At the end of the day, we are the United States and it is time to show the world that that's who we truly are, people who are united. We are a country made up of people with different views, different religions, different ways of life. But that's the beauty of it, that we have the freedom to be whoever we want to be and think whatever we want to think. And if we're unhappy with something about our country, we have the freedom to change it. So look yourself in the mirror and evaluate what you're doing. There's an old saying that claims, "If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem". In this case, that is definitely true. Standing by and doing nothing does not solve the problem; it only adds to it.

At the end of the day, no matter what we're dealing with in this country, I love it and I am incredibly proud to be an American. And my husband is fighting for our country right now and for your freedom. He is fighting for your right to live whatever life you want to live. So respect his sacrifice and the sacrifice of countless other men and women. Make this country as strong as it can be by choosing to be the best person that you can be.

Be the change that you want to see in the world. It all starts with you. Instead of being divided by hate, let's be united by love. Let's all do our part to change the world.

-Chelsea

Philadelphia 2017

About a week ago, me and a bunch of my friends went on a trip to Philadelphia, Pa for a dance competition. I had never been to Philly before and it was a city that I've always wanted to visit. It was one of the most incredible places that I've ever been in my life and I loved every second of it. I'm so glad that I was able to go and that I was able to share the experience with some of my favorite people. It also didn't hurt that I ended up getting third place in my category. The trip was memorable in so many ways. We ate at so many wonderful cafes, at Philly cheesesteaks, drank Guinness at the bar from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and so much more. It was one of the best vacations that I've ever taken and I'm dying to go back. If you ever have a chance to see this city, go. You won't regret it. I certainly don't.

-Chelsea

Be the Change

When I was in high school, I majored in Communications Arts and took writing classes with Mr. Moore. To say that he influenced my writing and changed my life is an understatement. But lately, I haven't been able to get something else about him out of my head. I heard him say this expression many times over my four years of high school, "Be the change you want to see in the world".

We live in a world so full of negativity, disrespect, disloyalty, selfishness and entitlement. Often times, I wonder how we let it get so bad. We're often more surprised when someone has our back than when someone stabs us in the back. And that is such a sad statement for me to make.

So how do we change it? We certainly can't change how everyone else lives but we can change ourselves for the better. We can change how we live our lives. If you think that there are too many liars in the world, be honest. If you think people are too angry or negative, be a positive influence. If you think people are selfish and unhelpful, be generous and helpful. Don't let yourself be pulled into someone else's negativity or toxicity. Negativity is contagious but positivity can be just as contagious, if you let it.

There are small ways that I try to avoid negativity in my everyday life. For example, I do not post anything negative or political on any of my social media outlets. I try to give people compliments whenever I can. I always try to offer people help, whether they have the courage to ask for it themselves or not. Or I answer phone calls from crying friends at 3 a.m. These things seem so small but trust me, they add up; and they allow everyone else to see your good example and follow it. And recently, I've started really focusing on self-love. So many of my friends struggle with this and I admit that I do myself. It's a daily struggle that I'm working on and I'm finding it easier every day. And what I want more than anything is for nobody else to ever think that they aren't good enough. So I'm hoping that by sharing my journey of discovering self-love, that message will spread, allowing more and more people to truly love themselves for who they are. The world definitely needs more of that.

So what I'm trying to say is that if everyone stopped focusing on the negatives, about anything, whether it's about themselves or the world, the world would be a much better place. Yes, the world isn't perfect and bad things happen every day. I'm not saying that we should ignore that. What I'm saying is to make sure that you are working just as hard to make sure that good things are happening every day as well, whether it's in your life, your friend's life or a complete stranger's life. One of the best pieces of advice that I've ever been given is, "Don't play the victim". If there is something that you can do to make your life better, then you have a responsibility to yourself to do it. So if you think something needs to change, whether it's a personal problem or a global problem, you have the power to make that change. The world isn't going to sit back and wait for you, and you shouldn't either. You deserve the chance to be happy and to make others happy as well. So the time to claim your power is now.

I know that it can be much easier to be a negative person or to believe all of the bad things about the world. But trust me, you don't have to just sit back, watch it happen and accept it. The truth is that there is still kindness and positivity all around you; you just have to look for it. And you know where you can find it? In yourself. It creates a kind of domino effect, like paying it forward. When other people are making you lose faith in humanity or the world today, be different and show the world what it could be. Be a good role model for someone else. Be optimistic. Be inspirational. Be kind. Be encouraging. Be helpful. Be generous. Be brave. Be honest. Be positive. Be the change.

-Chelsea

Thoughts on the Gilmore Girls Revival

As an avid fan of Gilmore Girls, I know that I'm a little late to this party. I watched the revival about a week ago with my mom, who also loved the show. There were a few things that made me unhappy about the way that the original Gilmore Girls ended, so when I found out that a revival was happening, I was excited because I thought that I'd finally get the ending that I wanted.

As of right now, I have mixed feelings about it. So, without further adieu, here are my thoughts, both positive and negative. (If you haven't watched the series yet, I advise you not to read this because... well, spoilers.)

1. I wish that Sookie was in the show more. I understand why she wasn't but I just missed her character so much. It wasn't the same watching Lorelai go through her daily life without her best friend.

2. Luke is still my favorite character in the show. Although it made me sad that he and Lorelai weren't married at the start of the show, it did make me happy that we got to see their wedding in the final episode.

3. I felt so sorry for Emily's character because of Richard's death but I loved that by the final episode, she was starting to flourish. I thought that her character grew and that she became a person that she could be proud of. I loved that she went after what she wanted and got rid of anything that made her unhappy, like the DAR.

4. The surrogacy plot for Luke and Lorelai felt a little bit rushed but I did love seeing Paris again.

5. As a writer, I can relate to Rory's struggles to succeed in that type of business. However, I felt that she made some poor choices and that she should have understood her mother's hesitation about her book a bit more.

6. It was wonderful to see Lane again but I wished that her band had more success, enough success to get them out of Stars Hollow and live their dreams.

7. I was disappointed in Rory's moral choices and how she repeated history. She had already been "the other woman" in a relationship before, when she had her affair with Dean. I thought that she'd learned her lesson, so I was extremely upset when I saw that she was having an affair with Logan. That also made me very upset with Logan's character and I never really understood why he didn't leave his fiancé for Rory. Clearly, they wanted to be with each other, so I don't understand why they couldn't make it work. Also, when Lorelai found out about the affair, she didn't seem that disappointed in Rory and I thought she should have been.

8. I loved when Emily and Lorelai made up after Lorelai's trip to California. The story about her and Richard was very sweet.

9. I loved seeing how Jess turned out. I know that he's probably the most popular of Rory's boyfriends but for me, that wasn't the case when I watched the original series. But now that he's older, I really like who he grew up to be. I can definitely see Rory and Jess being meant for each other now.

10. For years I've heard the Gilmore Girls fandom talk about the elusive "last four words". I knew that we were going to get to hear them in this revival and my mind kept spinning, wondering what they could possibly be. To find out that they were Rory telling Lorelai that she was pregnant, I was shocked, to say the least. I have conflicting feelings about this as well. In some ways, I see it as a cliffhanger. In other ways, I think that it's the perfect ending.

That's the gist of my thoughts and opinions. What about you guys? What are your thoughts? Do you agree or disagree with anything that I've said? There are plenty of differing opinions about this subject circling the internet right now. But I have found something that pretty much everyone agrees on: that random musical number was too long and did not serve the plot.

Many people are also wondering if the cliffhanger means that we'll get more episodes. What do you think? And, if the show did get more episodes, would you watch them?

-Chelsea

Positives of 2016

For many people, 2016 was generally a bad year. I'll admit that there were parts of it that were less than perfect for me as well. But I've realized that there is a lot of negativity in the world and I want my own little slice of the internet to be a positive one. So, I've decided to look back on 2016 and share some of the positive things that have happened to me.

I discovered competitive pole dancing and fell absolutely in love with it. I've found a great way to stay in shape and made some really amazing friends as well.

Kris and I went white water rafting for the first time. We went on a trip with some friends and had so much fun! We will definitely be going again.

I participated in my first 5k, which was a color run. This was something that I've always wanted to do and I'm glad that I finally got the chance to do it.

Kris and I did a lot of hiking and discovered many beautiful waterfalls near our hometown. We got to see just how mesmerizing the north country truly is!

We discovered Clayton and fell in love with it as well. It is definitely one of our new favorite places!

I traveled to Connecticut for the first time and participated in my first pole dancing competition with a bunch of my friends.

We couldn't go home for Thanksgiving, so we celebrated with some friends! We spent the night eating good food, laughing and watching football. I even learned how to play poker, which is something that I've always wanted to learn!

I've always been a huge Rodgers and Hammerstein's fan and their version of Cinderella has always been a favorite of mine. I finally got to see it live and bought tickets for my family members as Christmas presents. It was one of the most visually stunning performances that I've ever seen and I loved every second of it!

I got to go back to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party! I used to go a lot when I was little but I haven't had the chance to go back since I moved away. It felt so nostalgic to get to experience it again!

As a Christmas present for us, my mom paid for Kris and I to get portraits done. We took a whole bunch of beautiful photos and I absolutely love how they turned out. I absolutely can't wait to get the prints back!

What positive things happened to you in 2016?

-Chelsea