That 6-letter word Obama uses a lot....

Shoot! Here it is, something like 4 months after my first post and yet it feels like its been a lifetime. Sometimes I just don't understand time. And life for that matter.

That's right. I am going to talk about "Change" and I hope maybe I can make the time it takes to read this entry worthwhile...

Recently, I keep making comparisons to how my life was "this time, last year". But seriously! I wonder how its possible for someone's life to completely change, so much, so fast within a 12-month span of time (well, give or take a few months.) I can't even begin to describe how differently things are now as opposed to how they were in June of 2010. To give one example, in May or June 2010, I met a kid who was living with one of my friends who gave me the name and number of a credit-recovery program at a time in my life when I was about to entirely give up on the idea of completing basic education. Last summer, I was swearing up and down that if I didn't graduate high school by June of 2011, I was dropping out for good and no one could convince me otherwise. As of now, I have not yet received my diploma, however, I'm knocking out the last couple credits with the goal of completing high school by the end of September 2011. Just one of the million changes that has filled my life within a year and a few months.

Now, I didn't mean to make this post all about my life, but it makes me think and sometimes question what does life really have in store? And not just for me but for anyone. Seeing first hand how quickly life can change and how scary it can be when you are completely unprepared for somethings that may have been there, right in front of you with every imaginable warning sign and caution-tape wrapped around it. Or maybe something like a (natural) disaster occurs without the slightest warning. Remember the Copiago mining accident in Chile and how those men were able to survive underground until they were rescued over 2 months later? One of the events that has been widely publicized (this week) in the US is Hurricane Irene. I'm not certain what the after-math of that looks like in dollar figures or how many fatalities have been recorded as a result but using that as one of trillions of examples of how life can change.

I find it amazing though, how resilient all of us can be when it comes to accepting a shift in direction, whether it be a major or minor one. All of us a capable of adjusting to differences and the first question some people might ask when they've been affected by one of these "Life-Revisions" is "How will we adjust?". But I want to sound philosophical and wise here for a moment and put a twist on the phrasing of the question and ask "How will you choose to adjust?" What I guess I'm trying to get at is who is the recipient of the change and how will they handle it. And maybe this makes no sense at all to the rest of humanity, but by attending a credit-recovery program for a school year and seeing how so many kids have chosen to "deal" with the tribulations that come along with living in this world, it really shed a new light on things- a light that revealed a lot more than I would have cared to have seen sometimes. I spent soooo much time getting involved with different people and trying way too hard to MAKE them see the consequences that come with handling situations in different ways. I have to say that without a doubt, thee hardest lesson I learned in that program is that people make choices. And those choices are all their own and no one else is (or should be) allowed to make those decisions for them. Its heart-breaking some times to watch friends or peers or just people make decisions that have an almost sure-fire rotten consequence and also having to watch them try and deal with a possible change that comes with that decision.

I'm sorry that the transitions between topics weren't very smooth but I hope that this might have been a good use of time. If I may be so bold as to make a request to end this post, I ask that you appreciate the familiar and routine, embrace the new and unknown and try to always consult with wisdom before finally choosing to adjust to the change.

My name? New Girl

     Hi. My name is Paige. Last name? New. Yep. That's my name: Paige New. I think for the rest of my life, every person I meet will have some kind of fun playing with my name (though I'm sure I'm not the only person on this planet that that sort of thing happens to). And I've actually learned how to do so as well, hence the title of my blog.

     Okay then! My name is Paige New and this is my blog. I'm not really certain why I decided to blog, but I'm thinking it might have something to do with the fact that I LOVE to talk and I'm almost certain people on facebook were sick of me posting every little opinion I had as my status. So, because I refuse to become a twitter-bug, I figured why not start a blog. Its the perfect way to get my thoughts and opinions out there to whomever chooses to read my blog without being narcissistic and calling everyone's attention to myself. (kinda wish I could use that strategy in all areas of my life, but I'll gladly start here).

     I think I should fore-warn everyone first that I am a very opinionated person. I do my best not to offend those around me, but if I find someone who is doing something completely absurd, I will not stay quiet about it. And because this is my own personal blog, this is the last place you can expect me to use discretion when it comes down to speaking about what I so strongly believe in. I'm also a very emotional and personal...person. Many of my future posts will have to do with personal stuff just because...I feel like posting it, I guess.

     The bottom line is, if you don't like what I have to say, you have a few options: 1.) You may stop reading my blog at any point- I will not be offended. I promise. 2.) If you have an issue with something I post, you may talk to me in person, write me a letter (because I love receiving mail as much as I love chocolate), shoot me an email, or, if you are very angry and want to make a scene, you can post it in comment-form. I solemnly promise that when (not "if", cuz I KNOW this is gonna happen) somebody has a problem and you respect me enough to speak up about it rather than vandalize property or something, I will, in turn (if I'm in a good mood), respect you enough to take time, completely read what you have to say, ponder it for a few minutes and if I come to the conclusion that you have a valid point, I just might take it as constructive criticism and use it...constructively. Now, if a person is just wanting to get some sort of reaction out of me and are just down-right rude, I will roll your opinion around in my brain for about 30 seconds (if you're lucky), then promptly throw it in the recycle bin along with any remote possibility of me EVER re-considering it again. That is just the sort of gal I am.

    But for the most part, I hope everyone does enjoy reading this blog. What I wrote up above is just one small piece of a very large (and sometimes overwhelming) puzzle that makes me who I am. If you know me, I usually don't come off this blunt. (Or at least I hope I don't). I love people and I love to talk, listen, laugh, smile, write and be your friend :)