The "almost friends" zone

Many of us have heard of the so called friend zone, and some of us have experienced it, myself included; But I have also experienced something even worse: What I call the “almost friend zone”. This is where a boy likes a girl, but is happy to settle for being “just friends”, and the girl pretends to be friends with him even though she wants nothing to do with him. There was a girl in my high school that I used to have a crush on since the fourth grade. She said she wanted to be friends, but in reality she went to great lengths to avoid me… sometimes. We had many mutual friends, but she would never be around when I was hanging out with a friend of hers. Sometimes she would come up to me and say hi in the hallway. Other times I would say hello to her and she would blatantly ignore me. She, a friend and I all went to junior prom as a group of friends. She barely spoke to me the rest of the school year. One night that summer, she snuck out in the middle of the night to meet me. We spent a good two hours just sitting in the dark, talking, at a park nearby her house. For the rest of the summer I tried to make plans with her, but she was always “busy”. At one point a friend asked me to come over to help fix their computer. When I went over, she was there. I said hi and she didn’t answer. The whole time I was working on the computer, she refused to acknowledge my existence. I’m still not sure what happened between us, but I have realized that whatever it was just isn’t worth it.

Kids these days

I do feel bad for the kids these days. When i was young, we had so much fun. Our social network was out neighborhood!! if we wanted to hang out, we would leave the house, walk down the block and everyone would be playing outside. There were no cell phones or facebook or any of that stuff. In retrospect, i am very happy that is how i grew up, it wasn't about "stuff" it was about spending time and creating our own stuff. But today kids don't even leave the house, and they are just so consumed with stuff. My cousin's daughter, who just turned 10 recently told me that she was saving to buy a horse..A HORSE?? really kid? and the sad part is she will get it. I used to save up to buy gum at the corner store (colorful chicklets). i tell young kids all the time, go outside an play. I think is it so important to enjoy the simplicity of childhood.

Last Train to Sanity is Boarding...

I heard over the speaker in a loud booming voice "The last train to Santa Monica is now boarding". I just realized I had no idea where I was. My mind was in a blur and it seemed my eyes had just opened for the first in a long time. I was overcome with sadness and I didn't know why. How the hell did I end up at this train station and why am I so sad? I was sitting on a bench outside next to the train as people were leaving and boarding. I neglected to notice the ticket in my hand as it fell out of my grasp, it was the ticket for the train. Was I suppose to be on that train to Santa Monica? Was I suppose to feel this immense sadness in my heart.
I was so confused, I tried to calm myself and figure out what was going on but nothing. I couldn't remember anything that had happened and how I came to be sitting on this bench with a ticket to Santa Monica in my hand. All I could remember was her face. I didn't know who she was all I knew was she was beautiful and the reason for my sadness. For some reason I knew she was why I was feeling this way. Maybe she was the reason I was leaving, maybe I was trying to get away from her so I wouldn't have to feel this sadness anymore. I didn't know what the hell was going on. I started pounding my head, why couldn't I remember and who is she? Then I saw her, she was there at the train station. I stood up and started to walk to her relieved to maybe find out what was going on. But before I got to her somebody was already there. She embraced and kissed him, I stopped in my tracks and my whole body just started to ache in pain.
So this was the reason for my sadness, it was her and it was him. I turned away and took a seat on the bench again. Another loud speaker voice "Last call for boarding train to Santa Monica". I looked at my ticket and then I glanced over at them, I started towards the train. I couldn't stay there for another second because I knew I would break down. So I boarded the train, closed my eyes, and wished that this was just a nightmare and that I would wake up. It wasn't it never is. And so to Santa Monica it was, no idea what was waiting for me there but it had to be better than this. Anything would be better than this.

The Stony Brook Phone Call

This undergrad calls me to ask for money to donate to the "Parents for Students" Donation, where my parents-> The struggling minorities, are to donate what little money they have to a school where we already pay full tuition because we aren't poor enough for financial aid. This isn't the first time I have been called from Stony Brook asking for a DONATION. So I say to the girl on the line.. "I am sure you have some sort of list that you scroll down and call each one, speaking to parents, asking for their hard earned money, now can you get me off of it?" She says "NO, I would have to speak with your parent, so I won't get in trouble with my supervisor" I decide to be an asshole. I know what your thinking, its not her fault.. but you know what she decided to take on this awesome job for whatever student council club memeber she is and I have a gut feeling this chick on the phone's parents have donated a hefty fund to our "PARENTS FOR STUDENTS" little donation club. So I ask her.. Are you midterms? she replies.. yes. I responde with "Thats great so am I, and you would you like to know what I was doing before you called?" She replied ..okay. "I was studying for my midterms. You know.. it's 8:35pm on a tuesday night, and I have to study because I don't have the time to volunteer for useless clubs where I solicit parents for money, because I have to work two jobs." She responds "okay I get".. I say "do you get it? really? really? cause I have the feeling that you may call me again." She goes to say "Well, I can't take you off the list because my supervis-" I hung up.

alienation

I decided that I'm going to list forms alienation that I've either experienced or observed

-listening to loud music that everyone can hear in a quiet classroom

-being quiet, or scared to associate with other people

-being or a different religious background, and having people who dont understand it criticize it

-eating different foods than other people (like being Vegan) and having other people judge you

-not watching television shows or listening to music that most other people listen to/ watch

-being stereotyped as not being good at something because of how you look

-dressing differently than everyone else

-being obese or excessively thin

-being too nice to the point where it appears to be arrogance