Prince William, Duchess Kate and Harry team up to support World Mental Health Day

I've read a few articles and seen a few videos about Prince William, Duchess Kate and Harry teaming up to support World Mental Health Day. Many individuals don't treat mental illness like a real disease. The stigma that comes with the words mental illness is in fact very negative. Mental illness is a real disease. Many people do suffer from illnesses such as depression, a bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. They aren't getting the proper help and medical attention they need to overcome these diseases. I am glad to hear that Prince William, Duchess Kate and Harry are creating awareness. They launched Heads Together last May to try and end the stigma against mental illness. Bringing awareness to this subject is a huge step in the right direction. Hopefully as time goes on, more and more people become informed about these diseases. The more informed we are, the more we can do to help.

Vermont Crash

I read about a terrible accident that happened in Vermont a few days ago. There was a man driving the wrong way down the highway and ran into a car full of five teenagers who were all juniors in high school. The car went up in flames killing all of the teens and when the police showed up to help put out the fire the 36 year old man who caused the accident jumps in the police car and tries to get away. He was still going the wrong way crashing in to even more cars on his way until he was finally ejected from the police car that caught fire after he was thrown out. So this man has now killed five teenagers and injured seven others. He is also in the hospital. I thought it was crazy that he even tried to take to police car to get away. I believe I read that he had a domestic violence background as well as a DWI on his record so I'm guessing he was drunk driving and didn't want to get caught. Who knows.. either way it's tragic and I feel for the families of the victims. This guy has some really bad karma waiting for him around the corner.

On a positive note: Flexible Learning Spaces in Round Rock Elementary School

I have been noticing that most of the blog post, including my own, are discussing negative events that are going on in this country and the world. I know many of us are struggling with decisions regarding this election, environment, and all the death occurring in the world. Although, this negative information is important and essential to know about in order to be an informed member of society, it is still a downer. Though, I wanted to take a step back from the negative and bring something positive to the blog.

In Round Rock, at Canyon Creek Elementary, the school is adjusting their classroom environments to become a "flexible learning environment." This means that instead of elementary age children sitting behind desk and being silent, the children get to pick where in the room they choose to do their work. There are also different furniture for the children to use like standing desk, comfortable chairs, and ottomans. As stated by teacher Nancy Desjardins, who interviewed with Austin American Statesman, this creates an environment that gives children a sense of comfort, like being in their own living room. She also says that the students are more happy, interested, and comfortable than they have been in the past.

I personally feel this is an awesome development in our school systems! Being a FCD major, I know how sitting behind a desk limits a child's creativity and development. Children are not meant to be sitting at a desk for 8 hours and quietly working on worksheets; they should be moving around, and expanding their minds. Being able to move around and collaborate with fellow students allows children to engage their higher level thinking skills, creativity, and maintain a sense of ease. This flexible learning environment gives children control, freedom, and a positive setting to learn. I believe this is an excellent step forward for our education system, and I hope that many more schools will develop a similar classroom environment for their students.

Hopefully, this post gave you all hope that even though there are terrible things going on in our country and the world, there is still progress being made, no matter how small. Even if it is just one school making a change, that one school has hundreds of students. This means hundreds of lives are being positively impacted because of this new learning environment. Even though it is a little step forward, it is a step into a positive direction.

Debate

The debate between Hillary and Trump has me feeling all different types of ways. I hate that this has turned into such publicity and entertainment and is not the type of political campaign we need for America. All it seems to be is Trump calling Hillary a liar and Hillary calling Trump a womanizer. There is more details that we need to look into as far as who is going to be running as our president but all we see is the outer layer and who is considered the worst person from a media standpoint. I honestly do not support either Trump or Hillary so watching the debate is extremely hard for me because it sounds like two dogs just barking at each other and tearing each other down. I am still unsure of who I am going to vote for because I do not like either Hillary or Trump and so far both of the debates I watched were not helpful in deciding that factor. If anything the debates made me dislike both of them more and that is not a comforting feeling when trying to decide who I want to vote for as the President of the United States.

Environment

After talking about the environment, and how a lot of our actions effect it, I started to think how the only thing I really did to help was not litter because I would be one of those people who would wait with the car for my brother when I would pick him up. After talking about the small changes we are able to make I have been informing my friends and family on things they can do, some of them look at me like I'm crazy. I have changed the leaving my car on while I wait. I also have found myself looking at the ground more often. I even find myself collecting trash and putting them in my backpack or bag until I find a trash can. I will hold my friends wrappers just so then don't drop in on the ground. I don't think they realize how that harms the environment. This class is probably the one I talk about the most, I have never found another class that I spend so much of my time talking about.

Debate Night

Wow, the debate was truly hard to watch! It is so upsetting that this is what our country has come down to and all of the jokes about this election aren't funny when you realize this is what we have to choose between. It was like watching two divorced parents bicker at Christmas. Trump does not EVER answer questions with a legitimate answer. He is the king of empty sentences and watching him speak was like watching someone give a presentation in class when they didn't do any research. He is a bully and he contradicts himself constantly. I am so worried about how this election is going to turn out and I can't wait to vote. It is so hard to even understand the debates because any real information is disguised by the bickering and talking over each other. After the video that leaked of Trump making remarks about how he can just go up to women and grab them and do whatever he wants as a celebrity, the fact that anyone is still making excuses for him blows my mind. For anyone that is saying it's just "man talk", they are part of the problem with rape culture. Also, the fact that people look down on Hilary for being cheated on but not Donald for cheating, what the hell?! This election is pathetic and after the second debate, it is only getting more ridiculous.

All the things...

There is all of this pressure to vote but I feel like we're screwed either way.
This planet is trashed and hardly anyone seems to care.
Innocent people are dying undeserving deaths everyday while evil people are thriving.
Saw something about Russia planning a nuclear attack on the U.S.???
I can't.
I'm about to graduate with a ton of debt and that reality is starting to hit.
I'm so tired of being poor.
Will the earth be able to repair itself once we all die out?
I hit so many butterflies with my car everyday.
The news is terrifying.
Commercials make me sick.
All I want to do is save animals and take naps.

I feel like I'm in this weird sort of mental, spiritual awareness limbo--I see what the world is and I see my role in it as of right now and recognize that it needs to change.  I need to change.  And I feel like I'm right--there.  Just one more step, and I'd be there.  Living the life I crave, doing what I know needs to be done.  But for some reason I'm still clinging to the life I know.  Maybe I'm afraid people will think I'm being too extreme.  Maybe I'm afraid I'll try and won't be successful.  It's so easy to just stay this way.  But I can't.  I won't.

"Many people who are going through the early stages of the awakening process are no longer certain what their outer purpose is.  What drives the world no longer drives them.  Seeing the madness of our civilization so clearly, they feel somewhat alienated from the culture around them.  Some feel that they inhabit a no-man's-land between two worlds.  They are no longer run by the ego, yet the arising awareness has not yet become fully integrated into their lives.  Inner and outer purpose have not merged."
-Eckhart Tolle