shekinah-swift13

[shekinah-swift13]

Miss Americana

"Who's Taylor Swift anyway? Eww"

I suppose that you know the lyrics to Shake it off or Blank space, even if you're a fan or not. If you don't, you were probably born yesterday! Taylor Swift. Who is she? Is she that girl who writes songs about her exes?

I am a swiftie, and honestly, I have a lot to say about her. But I wrote this to share my opinions and reactions to her 2020 documentary, 𝙈𝙞𝙨𝙨 𝘼𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙣𝙖. If you haven't watched her documentary yet, this blog might give you some spoilers.

At the start of the film, she talks about the beginning of her career. If you're not updated, she has been in the music industry for 15 years! In the film, she shows the excitement of the first few months of her career. But even after all those excitement, criticism comes in.  She tries to ignore them, but how could you do that when you're in the spotlight of the news?

In 2014, she released her 5th studio album, 1989. It has by far been her biggest album and is the most awarded Pop Album of all time. Not to mention, this album also won album of the year in the Grammy's! At this point, she was over the moon and was the person everyone wanted her to be.

During her career, she met a lot of other singers and celebrities. She had a bunch of friends! Well, at least she thought she did. A time came when a so-called "friend" almost ruined her whole career. Rapper, Kanye West and his wife, Kim Kardashian, leaked a phone call of Kanye asking Taylor for "permission" in using her name in one of his songs. This video was leaked due to Taylor's surprised reaction when she was called a foul word in one of his songs. She stated to the public that she never gave that permission to them. But that's not what the media believed. Even some of her other "friends" were against her and said she was lying. After that incident, she has disappeared from public view for a year.

After a year, she came back with a dark album, REPUTATION. It has been called one of the biggest comebacks of the decade. Here, she has also broken the standards of her being  "skinny." In the documentary, she has mentioned that she had an eating disorder. And she said that this was because of the media's opinion on her body. But when she came back, she chose not to listen anymore.

After a while, the REAL and COMPLETE footage of the phone call leaked. And it turns out that Taylor was telling the truth. And she has shown how strong she was as a person. And now, she has just recently released another Grammy-winning album, Folklore. And it was awarded album of the year.

Taylor Swift serves as an inspiration to all. Even in her challenging times, she chose to fight. She is passionate about her dream. And that is songwriting and getting up on stage and singing to millions of people. The lyrics she wrote are the words that have saved most of us. And No, she DOESN'T ONLY write songs about her exes. She has written songs about her mom, her fans, her best friend, about growing up, and a thousand more non- romantically related music.

When I finished watching the documentary for the first time, this is when I knew who Taylor was. Now I know what challenges she has faced in life. Taylor has taught me that you will never be contented or happy if you keep on listening to others' opinions of you. She has taught me to speak now about my concerns and judgments, especially on politics. Taylor showed that being a celebrity doesn't make you any luckier. She has also faced challenges, like all of us.

Overall, whether you like Taylor Swift or not, you cannot deny that she is a strong woman. And that at some point, you might as well have liked at least one of her songs.😉

[shekinah-swift13]

You don’t outgrow people. You grow with them

Friends? It doesn't seem that special, is it? What does it mean to have a friend? What does it mean to be a friend?

Since the day you turn a year old, socialization starts. You become aware that there are people around you. Then the day you go to your first day at pre-school, you beg your mom to don't let you go because you're scared about all the new people. After a few days in school, you become friends with your seatmate and all the other kids. Since then, you've always wanted to go to school, and you would beg your mom to go right away, even if it's still early in the morning.

When you start middle school, you mature. And if you and your friends used to like playing outside and staying out till dawn, things might have changed a bit. You start to have your own opinions. You now care about your surroundings more. Even if fights may occur here, you still figure things out.

High school. Wow, time flies so fast! You and your friends have already been through a lot at this stage. But that hasn't changed the bond that you share. Then again, you have fights, and sometimes they get serious. You might lose some friends because of it. But you could still figure things out.

Look at you! College already! If it’s still you and your friends since childhood, lucky you! At this stage, you and your friends may have to be away from each other. Most of you will go to different universities and make new friends.

In every step, you do make new friends. Sometimes, you even lose some. It could be because of a fight, misunderstanding, or just simply incompatibility. But one thing I've learned is that you don't have to talk to each other every day to call each other friends. What's important is that you keep your bond. Make sure to still talk to them from time to time. Also, a friend would always be by your side even if you have disagreements. Your friend is also like family.

You should know that you're lucky if you have a friend you've been with since childhood. Talking about my personal experience, I have experienced a lot with the word "friends." I have called various people my best friend. Most of the time, it just doesn't work out.

I have also learned that there will be a time that you want to take a break from that person for just a while, and I think that's fine! But like I said, keep your bond, even if you don't talk to each other every day.                                                  They should be the ones you trust. And you should be the person they trust.

I'm sure I still have a lot to learn about "friends." There are still a lot of things that I don't know! But what I know now is that you don't outgrow people. You grow with them.

[shekinah-swift13]

new people.

Your heart beats as loud as it gets. You just finished that first step. Now here's another one. There are a few people who await this day. But there are also a few who doesn't like it. Some call it the "first day of school." Some might even call it the "first day of terror."

We expect us to be in the school hallway. You see a bunch of new faces and senior students. You hear the cheer of the people who had seen their friends again after a summer break. You pass everybody, trying to get out of their way.

But no, It's different now. Now, you get up from your bed, then get your gadget and meet those new people on just a tiny screen. You don't hear cheering. You can't even see some of your new classmates due to off cameras. Now, It's much harder to get to know these new people.

As it seems that everyone is in the meeting, we meet our classroom adviser and tell everyone to introduce themselves. Oh, what's that? Why do I feel so nervous? I just heard my name, and now it's my turn to give an introduction.

After I gave my introduction and after I corrected the pronunciation of my name, I heard my name once more. What? I thought I finished my introduction?.. Now, this is where the fun part comes in. For the first time in forever, I had a classmate with the same name as me. Well, what's funnier, her name was pronounced the way mine would get mispronounced.

Remember the interview I mentioned in my previous blog? One of my co- interviewees was in the same class as me! These coincidences have been following me everywhere!

From the first day of school, I already expected a lot of homework on our first week. And I was right! There was ALOT. But even if it was already a challenge getting through my first week in such a big school, my new classmates and incredible teachers made it easier than I thought. We just surpassed more than a month in this school, and how I wish that I survive till the very last grade level in this school. It gets challenging every day. But I can make it. Because this was and still is my dream. And if you dream of something, you'd do anything to achieve it.

[shekinah-swift13]

13:13; 30 minutes straight

  Do you know the feeling of a kid who accidentally knocked down their mom's vase and is anxious about her seeing it? That was what I felt when I was taking the entrance exam for my dream school. In this scenario, I am the kid. The kid who was having fun till this challenge stood up to her. But to her surprise, her mom wasn't mad. Instead, she only told her to be more careful next time.

  In this comparison, we could see that the kid, or in this case, I was expecting something worse to happen. Because, when I took reviewing classes for the exam, I felt the peer pressure. Everyone else was spectacular in their academics. They knew the answers to those questions I found hard to answer. Then this made me think that, If I can't even excel in this small group of people, what's the guarantee that I could make it?

   The day I was taking the exam, my only motto was, "Do your best. If you don't make it, at least you learned something." And I'm not going to lie, that exam was difficult. But it felt great when I finished. After a few weeks, the result came. I wasn't expecting to get the results that early. But when it came, I WAS SO SHOCKED. I PASSED!!! I don't even recall almost half the things in my head at that time, but all I know is that I was sobbing for 30 minutes straight.

   Oh, that doesn't end there. I still need to pass the next step, the interview. For people like me, this was a tough challenge. When we were about to start, I felt my heart pounding so loud. But I tried to keep my mind off being nervous and be confident. It was a fun experience. I got to meet three other interviewees, who were probably as nervous as I was.

  And BAAMM! After weeks of waiting, I MADE IT!!! I AM NOW A PART OF MY DREAM SCHOOL!! I can't even explain the thrill when we received that e-mail! And this is the reason why I am writing this blog right now, to encourage other people who are anxious about their exams and interviews. (I am also writing this because it's a requirement for school)

   Even if the road makes you unsure about its end, cross it anyway, and always do your best. I learned that self-confidence is essential when it comes to surpassing challenges. You have to believe that you CAN make it. If ever you don't, always keep in mind that a closed-door would lead you to an open one.

[shekinah-swift13]

It's A Different Ability.

"It takes a village to raise a child. It takes a child with autism to raise the consciousness of the village." - Coach Elaine Hall.

What is autism?

Why are there people with autism?

How is there autism?

These words were the words that echoed in my family's head when we found out my sister was autistic. My sister was diagnosed with autism when she was 3. Everything seemed fine when she was a toddler. The doctor even said she was a healthy baby. Why? How did it end like this?

When people see my sister, they'll never know her condition. People find it hard to believe when they find out that she's autistic. The people who truly know who she is, are the people she spends time with at home.

When people hear about autism, the words you hear them say are "oh, so they find it hard to communicate?", "They can't function like other people." and the word that hurts most?.. "they're not normal"...

When you hear that someone is autistic, it's always the negative sides you see first. But why? Everyone has flaws. But it’s more visible for autistic people. And yes, autistic people are different. They're different for all the things they CAN do, and not just the things they CAN'T.

When you have autism, the world automatically disappears. You suddenly have your own world. You do things in your way. You even see things from different perspectives. You have such a unique personality and a great memory. You are caring and honest. They may have their flaws and inabilities, but everyone else has them too, right?

It's difficult living with someone autistic. Every day, you feel hopeless. Because you get thoughts such as "will she stay like this forever?" I may hate her or get annoyed at her sometimes, But that doesn't change my love for her.

 I'll always be proud of her. I’ll always be proud of her smallest and biggest achievements. I'll always be there for her. I'll always protect her. Most of all, I'll always be her sister. If people think that autism is just a disability, well, they're wrong. Because to me, to us, autism is a Different Ability.