Sweet Tea and a Cloudy Sky

Can we seriously just talk for a minute about how angry this article makes me?

Gar-Field: Graduation ceremony remembers late principal

If you didn’t read it, at least pull it up in another tab for reference.
Now. Look at the picture. Look at the title. How are these two things related, except for the event around which they are centered? Why is there a picture of a couple kissing for an article about commemorating the dead principal?

Now. The people who wrote this article presumably do not know the couple pictured. There’s mention of their names in the caption. I, however do know these people. I found this article because of a link on Angela’s facebook page. The people that are being linked to this article do not care about the content, just the fact that “Oh wow my friends’ picture was in the paper!”

From a photojournalistic standpoint. I used to be on the yearbook staff in my high school. The same high school featured in this article actually. What we learned was not to include photos of couples, since there’s no guarantee that they’ll still be together. Well….more that, if the pictures are used, they have to be ‘innocent’ photos and the caption says something along the lines of ‘friends.’
It’s high school. There is nothing saying this is a good solid relationship. What if the inclusion of this photo caused drama and messed things up?

Now. The rest of the article. Why does it jump around so much? One minute we’re reading about Dr. Aiken, the next we find out who the valedictorian and salutatorian were, and then we’re hearing advice from Tara Wheeler.

I’ll admit, I didn’t go to the ceremony this year. I’m kind of glad, being around all those red robes would have made me mad. They were blue for so long…-sigh-. As someone who didn’t go to the ceremony, I would have enjoyed at least being able to read proper coverage about it. Where is the cliche copy about how parents eyes were moist, friends ran off celebrating, basically all the stuff that I didn’t get to experience at mine? WHERE IS THIS SAPPY STUFF?

I’m so mad about this. I bet it’s probably not a big deal to anyone else in the world. Just me.

I know I just graduated. I know I’m only nineteen. I know. But a lot can happen in a year. Looking back, I’m a totally different person now, in a number of ways of course. The one that struck me just now is the way I portray myself.

I used to be a mall-rat, I wore bright clothes, I was bubbly and at the same time vaguely emo. Sometimes I was described as a raver, not because I did drugs (I didn’t) but because of the bright colors and outlandish styles I would sport. I wore cute floofy skirts and way too much plastic jewelry. I remember a specific day where I chose to wear a striped polo shirt and jeans my senior year. I had none of my normal bright makeup on, no plastic stars around my neck. About halfway through the day one of my ‘good friends’ (because everyone was a good friend in high school) asked me what was wrong with me and what I was wearing. It wasn’t in a mean way, and it turns out a lot of people were confused by my choice out attire. Now, I’m reminded of a certain video by Ze Frank that I will link to later when I’m at a computer instead of on my blackberry. I had build up a personal brand, and now I was deviating from this. I had created a theme that people expected me to stick to and I was breaking free of it. The people around me kept me stuck in that niche of who I was, as I returned to my previous style the following day.

When I went off to college, I had a new place to start. I was able to create a more sophisticated portrayal of myself, and seem more presentable to the world. My style no longer screamed “stupid bubbly teenage girl” and instead begged for respect, or at least I would like to think so. About halfway through my second semester, I began to miss my old style. I didn’t expect to go back into it, but I wanted to inforporate pieces of it into the brand I’ve created for myself. Now I’m trying to figure out how to do this without being overwhelming.

A friend who knew me in high school and has actually watched the progression commented on it the other day. He said that I’ve gotten more sophisticated and I can’t pull off huge sparkly pink star earrings anymore. I’m kind of sad, partially because I’m afraid he’s right, and partially because I feel like it’s another example of being kept in a theme by outside forces. Besides, a lesbian who’s name I can’t remember and who I met once – at the mall whilst mallratting no less – gave me those earrings. I at least want to be able to wear them so that I can tell that story.

I’ve been paying an extraordinary amount of attention to the internet the past couple of days. I’ve been reading blogs and becoming much more immersed in twitter. I’ve actually payed attention to a little bit of news, and realized that there is actually a lot more information available than I thought – which is saying something. I would like to take some time to go on a tangent about fifteen year old girls.

There is a certain company I know of owned by a fifteen year old girl. The company is exactly what you would expect – they sell necklaces and other jewelry, presumably handmade. While I can appreciate the initiative the company has made, I don’t think that owning said company is enough to lift the owner to rock star status. Maybe I’m wrong, but I personally don’t like being told to “stfu” by a fifteen year old business owner because they aren’t near a computer to unfollow me on twitter. I never told you to follow me.