[Yuuji]

Originally Posted by katelynisspecial

Yuuji --
Haha, Spongebob is pretty childish, my brother adores it, but I still find it amusing when there's nothing on TV.

I probably should just bite the bullet and at least watch it once.
It is almost an American icon by now.

My driving test went fine, I bumped a cone on manueverability, but I didn't knock it over so it was only a few points off. The road part was ridiculously easy, I just had to drive through some back roads, no more than 25 mph, nothing more difficult than stop signs. It was only about 10 minutes long too. I was so happy and unbelieving when I passed, I was shaking, haha! I went out to lunch with my parents afterwards.

*nods about the road part* Yeah, if your family allows you to practice, that part is easy.

!!!!!!
Almost shaking and feeling it's unbelievable??
Didn't I say I felt the same way when I passed mine? (It's probably in this thread somewhere). So I know exactly how you feel.
I remember the instructor saying I passed, then I kinda forgot the rest of her words. I had actually achieved it.

But I know exactly where you are coming from. So been there.
(and then 20 years from now, you can laugh as well as some other 16 year old tells you the same thing!)

Yeah, the Twilight movie comes out on December 12th. The 4th book is coming out on the second, so I'm WAY excited about that!

Make way!
Vampire fan comin' through!

I'm glad that your dad is doing better, and your family might be able to be together again! That will be good =)

48 hour ago, I thought the same thing.
But two days ago, my good friend Ron has told me he has terminal cancer. I know I'm dropping this nonchalantly, and it was something I had to get past. Ron doesn't want me to lose time over it.
So I took some deep breaths, and contacted my own friends and family about it (Ron is 61, a tenured Professor here at the University. We have known each other for over 8 years now, and he's been there fore more, when my family hasn't. Hell, we just saw Indiana Jones together just 10 days ago).

But my brother went off the deep end.
And he's actually used my friend against me in a lovely slander campaign by talking behind my back to my parents, and other family.

Why? Because my brother went through a nasty divorce because of his own, to put it nicely, ethical failings.
So he's using this to distract the family.

Just 4 days ago, my brother was lamenting to me about all of his failures and failings, and how he was going to seek professional help.
In what is called 'reciprocal self-disclosure' I admited a few things to him, which although not as disgusting as what he told me, do not show me in a good light.
Little did I know he's been forwarding what I say, cutting out what he says, and spinning it with my extended family.

It's despicable, it's evil, and I hope you never have to face such a thing.

When I finally learned about it, most of the damage is already done.
As Mark Twain once said:
"A lie can get halfway around the world before the truth can even get its boots on."

This time I decided to fight back (as you might remember me 2 years ago, I was much more passive), but most people - including my own father, were already parroting my brother's lies (that I had stopped going to work (no), that I canceled social activities (hardly), that I was falling apart (I took 1 hour for myself, and then went back to doing errands), and basically that my friend's cancer revolved around me! (bullshit) And I was having a massive 'pity-party' for myself (that's beneath contempt)).
That has been hell.

And all of this only around 4 days after my brother admits to me that he wants me to visit him on the 15th, because he wants to spend an entire week crying over his exwife, and getting so drunk so that whenever he thinks of her, he'll think of puking. (I can forward you the email if you wish)

And who here is truly the one looking for a 'pity-party'?

*shakes his head*
For better or for worse, 'adults' can act just as bad as any child.
Just usually you have your own house to hide in, with no nagging parent.

I only included this stuff, because of what you have said below. It's not a big help, but it might give you some ease.

I can't imagine going through /all/ of my stuff, that would be hard! I can't sympathize with the house as much, we moved so much I don't really have a childhood home that I've grown up in, but I'm sure it will be nostalgic to go back.

*nods*
Now it has this new overtone because of my baka-brother.
But it has to be done.
I'll be fine though.
Just will be work.

Well, so far I've got $1,400 in the bank, and because of my vacation, probably will hope to have about $2,000 by the end of August.

Once again, congratulations.
It is hard to do what you have done.
What you describe below supports that.
Though I realize that that 'success' here is bittersweet, because your friends have just as much value as your accomplishments.

The bad thing is, none of my friends who said they would try to save have lasted, so it looks like if I'm allowed to go, I'll be on my own... well not literally, but I won't have the comfort of familiar people.

*nods*

Kate, one of the reasons I have never minded talking to you for all of these years, is because of how you are insightful, hardworking, and caring.

And now you find yourself in one of the crux having those abilities creates. You have accomplished so much, but because of those you were depending on, there is a bit of ash-taste in your mouth.

You are not experiencing an exception, but a rule. You will keep running into situations like this in your future, time after time.
At the very least, you'll get used to the taste of the ash, and find something else to put your valuable energy on. At the worst, you'll become disenchanted, adding to the apathy you see in too many adults today.

You are probably handling this just fine. But I know it takes some of the joy away from what you were doing. And that, in itself, is not so fine.

I know I am not your family. And I know I'm not your direct friend. Heck, you haven't even met me in RL yet. But I _do_ acknowledge your accomplishment. I do recognize it.
It is impressive, and it is more then what I was able to do at your age.

And if you can just keep a true smile on your face, then you'll really have hit one out of the ballpark.

But I'm good at making friends, and everyone who goes will have similar interests, so I think I will be fine, it might even be good for me.

*nods*
And I think you are 100% right - on all counts.
But I also do understand the slight bit of bittersweet that will tinge the experience.
To which I say, as long as you use it carefully, a little bit of enlightened self-interest would be just fine: That, at times, it's alright to focus on just you:
You'll be in Japan.
You'll have done it by your own hard work and resolve.
And it's time to enjoy the heck out of it!

But my parents are naturally more reluctant to let me go now. Oh well, I guess we'll talk about it when the time/money is closer.

*grins and nods*
And I think your bank account with be a great support towards that.

The other bad thing, is that unless things change, two of my friends I was going to take the language class with haven't been able to submit things to the program in time,

*facepalms*
I wasn't perfect when I was young either....but still..., I'd like your friends to catch up with you, y'know?

and might not be able to take the course. I really hope our counselors can sort it out, I really would not like to take a course with college students by myself, that would be intimidating.

What's the difference between a High School Senior and a College Freshman?
......3 months.

3 lousy months, that's all the difference. But the social aspect is amazing, daunting even.
And I remember my first class, I felt that all 200 people were looking at me.
Wasn't true...but the social pressure...yeah, it sucks.

Now if 200 people are watching me teach, I hardly care.
Because I suddenly became strong?
Not really...it's because I know the material well enough, that I know I can teach it.
Now put me in front of 200 people, when I don't know what I'm talking about....er, that's different.

It is an experience thing.

First, you will have some insights into the language. That will help (unlike when I started taking Spainish, where I had nothing)

Second - understand that you'll be graded by the teacher, so the teacher trumps actual learning (just like High school). Learn your teacher, and you'll do better (Grade wise)
Of course, you (unlike others) actually want to LEARN something. So you are going to give it even more focus. But true learning is hard, and takes years to figure out how you learn best. So yeah...you'll be juggling a lot, as you will be starting to learn things about yourself that you'll be using for decades to come.