When I first started this post I was going to write silly and sarcastic things about homeschooling. Which is all good and well in its place but, I have decided to write about more important things about us normal homeschooled freaks. (Because although there are the homeschoolers that give us a bad name, there are also many many many homeschoolers that live completely normal lives.) So for you normal homeschoolers this is for you and to all you who are not or have never been homeschooled please listen up.
Most people have a weird outlook on homeschoolers. One that I seriously do not understand all the time. Some people have the idea that homeschoolers have hardly any homework, that we are super duper smart, that we are goody two-shoes, and that we have no life. Now most of the time this outlook on homeschoolers doesn't bother me I'll laugh at your stupid jokes about homeschoolers, I'll even make jokes with you. You have got to realize though that everything needs to be done in moderation. Let me show you why.
I have gone to a "normal" school for about half of my schooling years so please realize I do know what I am talking about. After 7th grade the teachers at the high school I was going to go to where not the best teachers. My mom and dad knew that they could teach better so we talked it over and decided that my high school years would be done at home. In the right place homeschooling is a beautiful thing. When both parents are able to be involved; you get personal teachers plus the freedom to do many other things. For example when I started my high school years I joined the ski team for my local high school and I also got myself a job. When people made jokes about me being homeschooled we would just laugh about it, because we all knew it was completely absurd. In that scenario the jokes weren't as harsh. My junior year lots happened. My life pretty much fell apart. My parents split up, I moved to a state where I literally knew nobody, I gave up my job, and ski team. My schooling was forgotten and my grades shot to the ground. People still made jokes about my schooling but, this time it actually hurt me, because for once they were actually right. I did have no life and I was heartbroken. I had two friends who although they had never been homeschooled, cared enough to call me and help me realize that although school seemed pointless at the time I was going to have to buckle down and teach myself. I am very thankful to these people because, I really don't think I would have made it through my junior year otherwise.
That is my highschool history with homeschooling and I know every person and scenario is different but, the jokes are the same and when they are used constantly it can wear a person down. One of the frustrating things to me is when people tell me I have got it easy because, man their school is tough. At least I don't have the stress of going to a "real" high school. O.K. Now I understand that your high school is tough and stressful. I really do. But at least you have teachers who TEACH. I don't care if they are terrible teachers and you don't understand what they are teaching. I know that in a school you can ALWAYS get help from someone if you really wanted to. Have you ever had to teach yourself every single class? I don't think people realize how stressful that can be. It takes allot of discipline to sit down and teach yourself a subject. You can't always just read a book and magically understand. Sometimes you have to research for hours until you understand something. It's not as easy as 1-2-3. I still have homework just like you; I don't just sit on my butt at home all day and do nothing like everybody seems to think I do. So yah go ahead and make your jokes about how I do nothing I'll laugh with you as long as you are able to ask how my school is really coming along. Or do you want to come study with me? Do you need help with anything? If you are not able to realize that, than just stop "joking." Cus after awhile it's hurtful not funny.
Another thing that seems to get diminished is a homeschoolers accomplishments. I have a 3.9 GPA. I am extremely proud of that. Now lots of people would laugh and say something like: "Those homeschoolers, always get good grades because of their parents." This is completely and utterly NOT true. I worked my butt of for that GPA. It actually seems to me to be worse when your parents grade your papers and tests because, you will be sitting there eating lunch and your mom will start grading tests.....let me tell you scariest moment of your life..haha Yes I have failed tests before. Yes I have gotten the lecture from my parents about how I need to get my grades up. Yes I stay up late studying. I never cheated my way through highschool and I wish people would say congratulations instead of oh yah its cus you are homeschooled. If I went to a public school my GPA would be the same. Yes it may be true that homeschoolers get better grades but, I think part of it is because, it takes allot of discipline to be homeschooled. Not because we know where mom and dad keep the answer books. We do apply ourselves and we do have to work for our grades.
When homeschooling is done correctly the homeschooler ends up having plenty for "normal" friends. Sometimes even more friends than "normal" people. One thing that helped me in MN was most of my friends knew me before I was homeschooled and if I met them while I was homeschooled it was usually in a context where there was a whole group of us and everybody knew I wasn't some kind of circus freak. Since moving down here I am meeting new people and that ends up being one of the first things that people learn about me. It's completely stupid but, I end up having to break down walls of freakdom that people build up. It's like when they hear I am homeschooled they make a joke about it and build up this wall that tells me: "Wow ok sheltered little smarty pants. Who thinks she knows everything but, she actually doesn't cus she lives at home and knows nothing about the "real" world." Next thing you know I am discouraged and have to little by little take down this wall until they understand that I am actually not what they first thought I was. That I am a "normal" person. I'm not some caged animal. Yes your right I do sit at home and do school during the day. Do I miss the interaction with friends and family? Yes absolutely. I really hate being at my house allot of the time by myself. Does this make me sheltered? No it just means I don't have the same environment down here in Georgia that I did in Minnesota.
Allot of people have been focusing on the bullying going on at schools which, I know if a really big deal because, I have a brother that is dealing with it. But I also think that we should pay attention to the homeschooled freaks. Instead of constantly joking with them about their "sheltered" life and how they do nothing at all lets take the time to truly understand them. I wish I could graduate and say proudly without any embarrassment that I graduated a homeschooler. Due to the fact that their is a ton of stigmas on homeschoolers that is a hard thing to be able to say with pride. So please next time you meet a homeschooler don't make some joke until they know that you think what they are doing is something to be proud of not something to be ashamed or embarrassed about.
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Monday, January 21, 2013
Petty John's Cave
Petty John's Cave is one of the best places a human being can ever be in. It lets you be completely free. In every sense of the word. Free to climb,touch,run, and be completely stupid without people telling you that you are not allowed to do this and that. Free in the sense that it doesn't matter what you look like. Nothing matters but the thrill you get from climbing a mud covered rope 40 feet up or wiggling through holes and rocks just to see whats on the other side. It's a feeling that not very many people are willing to risk feeling. But those who are willing , truly know what it means to live life to the fullest.
Today was one of those amazing days. As I sit here writing this I am trying not to move due to the fact that almost every part of my body is bruised. Some would ask if looking and feeling like I got beat up is worth it and I would have to say......Heck yes!!! Let me start at the beginning and show you what I mean.
It's all about the thrill of doing things that push you to your limits and discovering things that hardly any people ever get to see. The ultimate goal for me and a bunch of others is to get to the discovery room. The discovery room is pretty much exactly what it implies....a discovery. Not very many people get to it due to the fact that it requires crazy amounts of stupidity to get there. But of course every time we go into the cave we go a little further and learn a little bit more so that someday soon we will get there.
Today we got to the echo room which was a room we had to learn how to get to so that ultimately we can get to the discovery room. Getting to this room requires a few things that I was not to pleased to have to do. After climbing down slippery rocks and ropes and going through some tight squeezes we made it to the worm tube. We have had quite a bit of rain lately so the cave water had risen quite a lot. Because of this the worm tube, which is a 100ft long tube that you have to lay flat on your belly and army crawl through, was filled with water. Now normally there is no water and crawling through it wouldn't have been a problem. But for some odd reason when a person has to lay down in a foot of muddy 50 degree water and swim/crawl through it with just their nose above the water it can be just a little nerve wracking. After starting and than backing right back out of the work tube I sat there at the entrance for a good 10min debating either facing my fear or just turning back with some of the others. I finally dove in, manned up, and made it through the tube with 2 others.
On the other side we found ourselves wet, slippery, and facing a 20 foot climb straight up a cliff of rocks with one muddy rope to haul ourselves up. When we finally made it up we were faced with a beautiful room called the echo room. It was a huge room with vaulted ceilings and an echoing sound affect. After climbing around for about an hour and a half looking for the exit to the next room we want to go to on our next trip we carved our names into the wall of the echo room and left to go back through the worm tube.
After another hour of struggling up rocks with our wet and slippery selves we finally met up with the rest of our group. And of course the light of day, which was a very beautiful sight after 6 hours in a dark cave. So no, I don't regret how I know I will feel tomorrow and no I do not regret being scared to death because, the thrill, adrenaline rush, pride and astonishment one gets from it is truly worth it!
And at the end of the day it makes me more confident in who I am and what this chick is made of. Which in my opinion is one of the best rewards to playing on God's jungle gym. Oh and I hear mud is good for the skin.....sooo I guess I got my adrenaline rush and beauty treatment done all in one shot.
Today was one of those amazing days. As I sit here writing this I am trying not to move due to the fact that almost every part of my body is bruised. Some would ask if looking and feeling like I got beat up is worth it and I would have to say......Heck yes!!! Let me start at the beginning and show you what I mean.
It's all about the thrill of doing things that push you to your limits and discovering things that hardly any people ever get to see. The ultimate goal for me and a bunch of others is to get to the discovery room. The discovery room is pretty much exactly what it implies....a discovery. Not very many people get to it due to the fact that it requires crazy amounts of stupidity to get there. But of course every time we go into the cave we go a little further and learn a little bit more so that someday soon we will get there.
Today we got to the echo room which was a room we had to learn how to get to so that ultimately we can get to the discovery room. Getting to this room requires a few things that I was not to pleased to have to do. After climbing down slippery rocks and ropes and going through some tight squeezes we made it to the worm tube. We have had quite a bit of rain lately so the cave water had risen quite a lot. Because of this the worm tube, which is a 100ft long tube that you have to lay flat on your belly and army crawl through, was filled with water. Now normally there is no water and crawling through it wouldn't have been a problem. But for some odd reason when a person has to lay down in a foot of muddy 50 degree water and swim/crawl through it with just their nose above the water it can be just a little nerve wracking. After starting and than backing right back out of the work tube I sat there at the entrance for a good 10min debating either facing my fear or just turning back with some of the others. I finally dove in, manned up, and made it through the tube with 2 others.
On the other side we found ourselves wet, slippery, and facing a 20 foot climb straight up a cliff of rocks with one muddy rope to haul ourselves up. When we finally made it up we were faced with a beautiful room called the echo room. It was a huge room with vaulted ceilings and an echoing sound affect. After climbing around for about an hour and a half looking for the exit to the next room we want to go to on our next trip we carved our names into the wall of the echo room and left to go back through the worm tube.
After another hour of struggling up rocks with our wet and slippery selves we finally met up with the rest of our group. And of course the light of day, which was a very beautiful sight after 6 hours in a dark cave. So no, I don't regret how I know I will feel tomorrow and no I do not regret being scared to death because, the thrill, adrenaline rush, pride and astonishment one gets from it is truly worth it!
And at the end of the day it makes me more confident in who I am and what this chick is made of. Which in my opinion is one of the best rewards to playing on God's jungle gym. Oh and I hear mud is good for the skin.....sooo I guess I got my adrenaline rush and beauty treatment done all in one shot.
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