coddle buddy.

I will openly admit it, I am a little rough around the edges. I am a very passionate person. I have a sharp tongue and I don't feel the need to censor myself nine times out of ten. However, I am generally a nice person.

Anyone coming in contact with me at any given time has at least a few chances to show me who they are with no judgments passed or assumptions made. But let me be the first to say I have been pulling back the reigns on the niceties I usually offer people. Perhaps it is just the group I surround myself with on a day to day basis, perhaps others have felt my frustration, but...people are ridiculous. What happened to accountability? Work ethic? Honesty? Respect?
The lack of people which actually contain these ideals is astounding.

My parents were not shining examples of perfection; but I was raised to understand the value of things such as a job, making your own way, independence, and hard work. I lived the life of a Huxtable, not a Banks. What confuses me the most is that I was a child through the nineties-two thousands, not the fifties. What exactly is your excuse? We were raised in the same generation and financial class yet you act like you have no idea how to function in society. I'm sorry Paris, would you like me to teach you how to balance that checkbook?

I work in a very casual, easy to function environment with the highest turnaround of any place I've ever seen. Do you know why? Because people just flat out don't think they should have to do their jobs.
"I have to clean? I quit." "You're scheduling me on a day I want to drink? I'm not showing up"
I'm sorry...what?! I have been working for a very long time, because that is what normal human beings do. Pay their bills. Earn money to buy the things they want and pay for the comforts we all expect in this country.

People are lazy, because we allow them to be. Kids don't understand things, because we don't make them. Teenagers don't have work ethic, because they don't need to. How about a little more tough love and a less coddling? How about a little faith that people can in fact do things for themselves?

gentlemen prefer nature girls.

One of my favorite things to do as a child was going out in the woods. It didn't matter if it was ten trees, or an amount so thick that light was barely seen. It was a different world to me. I could be Pocahontas if I wanted to be, and there was no one around to tell me any differently.

To this day I would choose a trip to a national park over one to the beach. I personally don't see the appeal of the sand and salt water over lush greens and bustling wildlife. Nature is nature, and it is all beautiful, but give me a boggy smelling pond over a cloudy ocean scene any day.

It isn't cool to love the outdoors anymore. Why? Even as adults people are so quick to throw out labels. Why is it that every girl my age in a small town is supposed to aspire to move to Chicago? If you don't want to do that you must just be "small town." Oh wait, you aren't into fashion and bump-its? You're a tomboy. You like working out and eating right? Dyke. You read? Nerd. Stop it, honestly. It is so unattractive to put people in groups. Especially if you are over the age of fifteen. Even worse is trying to "figure someone out," people aren't puzzles, nothing needs to be figured out.

I suppose what I am getting at here is this: I am a strange bird. I realize this. My parents have known since day one I have been told. I like antiquing, hiking, just sitting in grass, reading, talking to strangers, feeling the sun on my face without a stitch of make up. Why is it so hard for us to accept that people can be okay with being weird? I refuse to change these quirks for the sake of a man being interested in me. That's fine. Until I find my counterpart of strange, I will keep telling guys I'm not available.

This person will sit in random grass with me. We will watch American Pickers, not One Tree Hill. The two of us will get lost in the woods, often. You will not see us grinding in a bar, ever. Our every move will not be broadcast on Facebook. He won't get mad at me for having a messy car; I won't get mad at him for not cutting his hair. He won't mind that I would rather walk or bike somewhere than drive. Bugs will never be killed for me, but he will catch them and put them outside. The greatest date I have ever been on was sitting on an old wooden platform looking at stars, talking about nothing. That is perfect, but he will top it. We will attend things like flea markets and outdoor concerts.

Maybe I should take out a personal ad, I don't know. All I know is that until I find what I'm looking for, I wish you'd leave me alone.

text rant.

If you have ever been romantically interested in me you probably know that I hate

texting as a form of communication. I think it is single handedly the most detrimental thing to happen to love since online porn sites. Since when does moving your fingers across an iPhone screen constitute courtship? Lately I feel like I have caught a lot of slack for being "hard" on guys. I have been called everything from cold and heartless, to a man-eating shrewd. All I have to say in response to that is sorry for refusing to settle for a caveman whose idea of getting

my attention is a poke on Facebook and a "hey" text message twenty times a day. I am not asking for a boombox outside my window and love poems on the reg, but is that really your idea of giving a woman attention? I don't care how many times you text me "Hey let's hang out," the answer will always be no. Have you ever picked up a phone? Phone calls are not an item of folklore that died in the 1980's. They are alive and well, not to mention very effective. Text messages contain no emotion

s. I don't care if you put twenty five cheesy smileys after your question. Still nothing. You can write me six 160 character pages about the way you feel toward me but until you prove it in real life, I am going to ignore every letter of it.

Girls' Facebook statuses are always plastered about how big of liars men are, which constantly makes me wonder what they consider lying. If typing some bologna into a text box would get you boob pictures, you would probably do it too. It isn't right, but it's true. I mean, on the other hand, ladies would you really do everything in real life that you promise via "sext?" No. Because TEXTING IS NOT TALKING. Your inbox is not life. If someone can look you in the eyes and make a promise to you, that is a real and legitimate interaction. It's so easy to lie to people through a cell phone.

"Yeah, of course we can hang out soon!"

"I miss you :("

"I love you"
"Sorry, I didn't have my phone."

Lies, The lot of it.

It is so easy to be douchetastic these days. If you make someone mad, hurt their feelings, or blatantly lie to them, the solution is simple. You don't have to text them back. Which is horrible, but I think that's the reason people love it so much. There is no accountability to actions in the world of Autocorrect and T9 Word. However, despite the impersonal nature of the whole thing, texting is a form of words...and words can hurt. You can even take this as far as cyber-bullying; people just aren't the same across a wi-fi connection.

The disconnect between real people turns us all into some degree of sociopath, don't you think? No one says what they mean. No one cares what lies they tell after the sent button is tapped. Cheating in relationships is simplified. Ditching one night stands is easier than ever. Fibbing to friends is just a click away.

Obviously no one who reads this is going to cut texting out of their daily lives. But maybe you should consider taking it out of your relationships. Would your Grandparents be celebrating their sixty year anniversary if they had met over Facebook and sexted their way into going steady? How about your parents? No, probably not.

Simplify your happiness, talk to someone.

take a sad song, and make it better.

Good morning everyone! I want to let you all know that I have been a hypocrite.
I am sure we have all gathered from this outlet that I am a pretty happy lady. Which is true; except lately. I have been miserable.

Stressed. Anxious. Bitchy. Emotional.
These adjectives should not be anywhere near me as a person.

The truth is, I am not happy with my life, and it's my own fault. But that isn't my point here. My point is; life is simple, happiness is simple. I have forgotten that lately and this week I am putting that mantra back into my decision making.

I've said it before and I will say it again. No one lives your life but you. No one else is allowed to tell you how to feel or what decisions to make, because they aren't making them or having to feel the way you do.

Life isn't short. It is actually pretty damn long. Which is scarier to me than the whole "short" theory. If you aren't enjoying the place where your life is now, and are continuing to do nothing about it...guess what? You are settling into decades upon decades of hating your life.

Ideally, one day you will be sitting at your awful desk job and the life fairy will appear out of thin air and grant you a better job and poof away your love handles as an added bonus. If anyone knows of that happening, give me a call. As far as I know, if you waste time simply hating your job and your fat ass, tomorrow you will still have a terrible occupation and a lumpy butt.

If you want Jillian Michaels' body, you aren't going to get it by wishing. If a job is making you miserable, it won't stop through positive thinking and no action. You must change your every day routine to improve your tomorrows.

I guess people see life as short because they waste too much of it. Once it has passed, we can't reclaim it. I don't want to look back on a single stage of my life and consider it wasted. Our crazy materialistic ideals are what bounds so many of us to a miserable life. Some people believe despite the words of my four favorites, in this economy and country, love is not all you need.

I say, isn't it though?

busted flat in baton rouge.

I don't think it is any secret that almost every human being with female genitalia is "addicted" to Pinterest. Myself included. It's a great place to put off being productive and find cute craft ideas, inspiring quotes, etc. However today I chose to look at the board titled "Beauty" and I couldn't help but laugh the entire time.

"How to get natural looking make up in eighteen easy steps."
"Acid peel..at home!"
"LOVE this lipstick, only $89.95!"

Don't get me wrong, I love make up as much as the next lady, but we as a society are absolutely ridiculous about it. It's a multimillion dollar industry that basically has no legitimate purpose if you really think about it.

I have a great one step system to getting that natural fresh faced look...it's called waking up. Perhaps a shower? Maybe going for a jog? Voila. Natural face. You're welcome.

I'm sorry, did you say home made acid? On my face? Okay..how about you go first on that one sister.

I don't know about you but I can list twenty two things I'd rather spend ninety dollars on. I don't know that I have ever had any lip complaints, hell I would call them borderline luscious and I rock out Wal-Mart chap stick.

If you have the money to spend on making yourself high maintenance, good for you lady, whatever floats your boat. But personally, I don't see the point. Odds are, you're beautiful. You probably don't realize this because you are too infatuated with the "potential of beauty" that various products are promising you. They're lying. You don't allow your peers to lie to you so why are you taking that foundation label's crap? If you stopped looking at what needs to be better maybe you'll realize what is already great.

Trust me, I could rattle off five things in two seconds that I dislike about my appearance. Everyone can. However, if you asked me to do the same about a friend, I wouldn't know where to start. We are harder on ourselves than we are on others. Our eyes aren't trained to find physical flaws in our loved ones, we simply see who they are. Something they despise about themselves may go completely unnoticed by others, or perhaps it is even a quirk that is loved by those same people. The point is, be friends with yourself. When you have a free moment, go stand in front of a mirror. Don't go into Mean Girls mode and pick yourself apart. Look into your eyes just as a friend does. After all, you are your own best friend. Chances are you will start to notice gorgeous things about yourself that you have always overlooked.

This may sound strange coming from a nineteen year old female, but my biggest beauty inspiration is Janis Joplin. Her wild haired head and euphoric smile hang largely on a poster right outside my bathroom. When anyone mentions her name, they aren't going to get a "Damn she's sexy!" in response..but you know what? I think she's beautiful. She didn't care what she looked like and the best part was..neither did anyone else. She was still iconic, wildly successful, even a cover girl. Because she was amazing, and everyone knew it.

I have a secret to tell; you are amazing. It's your job to let people know this fact, and it can be done no matter what you are wearing or what is or isn't on your face.
Passion is the best thing you can put in your eyes. A smile is the sexiest thing you can wear on your lips. Nothing brightens up a complexion like a quick dance around the room to your favorite song.

We all know you're beautiful. We know you're good enough. Why don't you?

and to all a good night.

Last night I nestled down into my couch with Frances the cat and decided to watch the modern holiday classic, Love Actually. Not exactly a noteworthy event, I will agree. However, after watching the movie in it's entirety, I couldn't shut my brain off.
Allow me to elaborate.

The movie starts off with this monologue by Hugh Grant overlaying scenes of loved ones in an airport:

Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion is starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don't see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often it's not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it's always there - fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge - they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I've got a sneaking suspicion love actually is all around.

Sorry if this spoils it for any of you who haven't seen the picture, but it's a romantic comedy so I suspect that you've picked up on the fact that the movie ends in happily ever after. When the credits rolled across the dark screen, I almost had a panic attack.

It hit me all at once that the new year is less than a week away.

Christmas is this weekend. This past year has been nothing but rubbish. What do I have to show for 2011? Absolutely nothing. I am watching a movie alone with my cat. I've gained ten pounds. Alone on Christmas. Alone on New Year's Eve. I suck.
It was like Cybill was in my head dropping pounds upon pounds of negative thoughts onto my brain.

As you know, this sometimes happens around the holidays. Nothing can ruin a perfectly good mood like a Kay Jewelers commercial around December. Let me be the first one to say, don't give in to Norman Rockwell-esque propaganda. Yes, this time of year is great, but don't feel like your life should be a certain way just because of the date.

Last night for example, all I could think of were the negative things over the past year. Just as I was about to reach Ben and Jerry's level of depression, my phone went off with a text from a friend that for some reason snapped me into thinking clearly.

I have had an amazing 2011.

Sure, it's obvious by my blog posts that I fell out of love. I learned it's okay to fall hard and forgive even harder. I learned just how big my heart really is. I found out I can't be jaded. I gained more from that experience than he ever did by cheating; or than I ever could have by staying in the relationship.

I put off going to school another year. This is okay with me. I am still nowhere near knowing what I want to be when I "grow up" but I'm a whole hell of a lot closer to knowing where I don't want to be. To be completely honest, something along the lines of Peace Corps is looking like the best fit at this point.

I'm just a waitress. Everyone thinks that working in the food industry is one of the worst jobs you can have. I strongly disagree. I love my job. I make the money in a weekend most people make in a week or more. But that isn't the best part. The crew I work with, though a motley one, makes every day a new experience. Not only that, but I've met at least one person that I know I will be friends with years down the road.

Work takes up eighty percent of my time. This blows. I'm not going to tell you I love working, no one does. But this year I have shown not only myself, but everyone around me that I can do it on my own. The day you realize you don't need anyone else is a great one.

I don't keep in touch with many of my old friends. Most of the people I considered friends were that of convenience. Naturally, they are going to get pushed to the wayside. I'm actually glad they did. This year I have met so many people by opening myself up to new experiences and getting out of my "convenient comfort zone." That cheesy quote every one Picniks on their pictures is true: "Here's to the nights that turned into mornings, and the friends that turned into family."

I'll stop rambling about the things I love about my life, and leave you with a last thought. This year I have grown more as a person than you would believe possible in just 365 days.

Learn the difference between needing someone in your life, and wanting them there. Stop making excuses for yourself and grab life by the face already. But most importantly, accept your life. It's yours. You aren't going to gain anyone's approval until you gain your own, probably because you won't deserve to. The only person holding you back from everything you want is you. Before you complain about something in your life, (job, car, house, phone) think of those who don't even have such things to complain about.

Find what makes you happy; and do it.

Happy Holidays.

hey jude.

A few weeks ago a friend of mine suggested the topic "not thinking people are good enough, setting too high of expectations." At the time, I didn't really believe I could go on the blog rant that you are all so used to reading on that specific topic, so I didn't write it. For some reason I was thinking of his suggestion this morning and realized I could absolutely put some Sydni in this subject. Here we go..

Every single one of us is guilty of this, but I think most of the offenders lie in my generation. Thanks to movies, sappy Facebook statuses, and TV shows that completely misconstrue relationships; everyone has this obnoxious ideal of who their partner needs to be. We get so caught up in what someone isn't doing that what they are doing gets completely swept under the rug. Your Prince Charming or Cinderella isn't going to bust up in your life someday with a dramatic monologue and an acoustic guitar. When you put your expectations in perspective, maybe you will notice your leading man or lady has been there the whole time, waiting with a simple hand outstretched.

I am not telling you to lower your expectations. I am not telling you to settle for an former convict with no job because he will never be Heath Ledger. Let me make that apparent. I am telling you to stop being blind to the things you have in your life because they aren't what you think they should be.

People have a preconceived notion that when they find someone that is right, fireworks will erupt and crowds will gather for a somehow perfectly choreographed musical number...that is not going to happen. What will happen is you finding someone you can be yourself around, tell your darkest secrets to, and just be happy with. Isn't that enough? It's so easy to forget that relationships aren't about who can ante up with the biggest romantic gesture. They aren't about being with someone who will impress other people. They aren't about changing someone. They aren't about only being able to find happiness in the big things, but rather finding a smile in small thing each and every moment. Grand gestures get old, and at the end of the day it's simply about being happy.

One time in my life stands out to me where apparently being happy wasn't enough. The weirdest part was, this person really was like a movie. I won't go in to detail because I try to maintain some anonymity in the people I talk about in my blogs, but the things you see in cheesy romantic comedies and think "that never happens," happened. Every day was something new. I'll be the first to admit when I make a mistake, and I stepped in it big time on that one. I didn't appreciate the things he did..took them for granted, when he exceeded my unrealistic expectations, I set new ones. Was it perhaps a defense mechanism? Who knows, but all I know is I was a brat. You can't enter someone in a competition without their knowledge and punish them when they don't win.

My time with this person may have been movie-esque, but life isn't a movie. Sorry kids. You can't make mistakes and with one apology everything is okay and the choreographed dance starts right back up. (Seriously though, how does any movie explain how an entire crowd of people just knows the same dance and is willing to do it in public, come on.)
Inadvertently telling someone they aren't good enough simply because you think you deserve better than what they are already giving you isn't okay. If you don't like who that person is, you need to let them go show someone else how great they are. Looking back, I would have done it all differently. I would have realized it's the little things that matter most. Someone who will buy you a two dollar gift simply because it's your favorite color, listens..really listens when you speak, and trusts you with their secrets is going to keep you happier longer than someone who is just trying to impress you with meaningless nonsense.

someone like you

Let's be honest, we all have "merry go round" exes. The ones that are always right there in the back of your mind. You may stray elsewhere but it always seems like you end up on an endless rotation of thoughts and feelings with them smack dab in the center.

Today you are getting off the merry go round. Right now. Seriously, tuck and roll off of that thing because if you don't you will never stop feeling dizzy.

There are varying degrees of merry go rounders. Some of us are worse than others, I realize. If someone pops into your head every now and then, that's fine, and normal. We are human, we don't just erase all memories of someone or something that was a part of our lives. However, being at every beckon call of your ex is not okay. First stop off the carousel, stop acting like you are still their girlfriend/boyfriend. Right now you're thinking "We are still friends, I'm not just going to stop that." No, you are not still friends. Do any of your other friends drunkenly text you at all hours of the night stating any of the following?

"missss youu babyyyy"
"ughhh you're so sexxyyy"
"come herrreee"
"why don't youuu love meee?"

I certainly hope not. If so, perhaps you and your friend need to do some talking. If the relationship is fresh enough in your mind that you still die a little inside thinking of them every time Adele's Someone Like You comes on the radio...you are not friends. Do yourself a favor and give the besties act a rest. When and if the time is right maybe you can be casual friends, but until then, stop forcing it and quit making yourself suffer.

Second stop, take a sharp left off memory lane and head down out of sight, out of mind avenue. When you go on a diet, do you succeed in doing so by leaving cake and candy around the house? Absolutely not. If you see the cake, you are going to eat it. Likewise, if you leave mementos of your relationship everywhere, you are going to be thinking of that person. Take down the pictures, delete those adorable texts you have saved, and stop creeping your Facebook friendship. Memories are great, however it's easy to forget that is all they are. Whether or not you want to believe this fact is up to you, but they no longer matter. Know what else is easy? Sweetening memories beyond what actually occurred. Everyone does it. It is a lot more pleasant to remember that time he sent you flowers at work without thinking of the day before (the time you found the sexts from his downstairs neighbor..well, the first time) Remember that time she made you breakfast in bed? The morning after you were both up until three am fighting over nothing? Good times. Are you getting my drift here? Stop sleeping in his sweatpants, stop listening to the song she said was yours on repeat. A good rule of thumb? If you would feel awkward explaining an item in your room or home to a new love interest, get rid of it.

Get them off the pedestal. I have been so guilty of this it's laughable. Stop pretending it was a fluke that ended the two of you. It happened for a reason. Especially in these merry go round situations, it didn't work the third time, it especially won't the fourth. It is safe to say you are elevating your ex to a status that they couldn't even reach during your relationship simply because you can't be with them now. If your time together was so perfect, if they were so perfect, why aren't you together? Take off the rose colored glasses when you feel the need to think about your former ball and chain. Even better? Talk to your friends. I am sure they will be happy to inform you of the flaws you are so naively over looking. There is no truth like that from a best friend.

Our final stop of the day is very simple: do not, ever, ever, touch your ex boyfriend or girlfriend. Friends with benefits doesn't even work in the movies. Ever. I don't think I need to elaborate on this. It is always a bad idea. Always. You probably won't listen to me, but when you are back at emotional square one after a drunken night of "oopsies," you better think to yourself "Damn it, Sydni told me so.." Because I did.

Now, I realize there are exceptions, sometimes things end for regrettable reasons, and it is possible in some cases to reconcile old relationships. If you weren't able to before, I should hope you are able to distinguish "merry go round exes" from your average former partners after reading this. I also realize these things are easier said than done, but trust me when I say life is so much easier moving in a straight line rather than a circle. You deserve better than where you've already been, it just may take a few steps for you to realize this to be true.

big fish.

As much as I hate, no, despise admitting this...I have been voluntarily sucked into a small town rut. I'd like to say that this rut is specific to my hometown but to be completely honest I feel that every rural area has the same black hole effect. Now when I use the word voluntarily I do not mean consciously. That's the thing about getting sucked into the vortex that is Charleston, IL..you don't realize it is happening until it's damn near too late.
Let me explain what I mean by vortex. My grandparents grew up in the place locally known as "The Chuck, " as did my mother..and father, aunts, uncles, you get the point. The majority of people who grow up around here, stay around here. Which is completely fine. I have been lucky to grow up in an area that is a great place to have a life and raise a family.

But..

The life and options that Charleston offer are never what I wanted for myself.

Admittedly, kids who grow up around rural areas aren't given many of the options that kids in larger areas are given. There aren't high schools that condition us from the ninth grade to succeed in college. We go to schools on ridiculous public budgets with trash cans collecting leaks in the hallways, teachers that hate their jobs, and whose idea of college prep is handing out one-page practice ACT tests junior year. I can count on one hand the educators I have had throughout my entire life that maybe impacted my life in a positive way. We have little to no access or education on things such as internships, or even all of our career options as adults. I could write for hours about how ill-prepared many Charleston High School students are for the real world but that isn't exactly my issue here, nor my excuse.

What I'm wondering is why I gave up. I graduated from high school early to start my career off as soon as possible. Public Relations was the name of my game. I was going to get the hell out of dodge as soon as humanly possible.

When graduating high school I was the assistant manager at a retail store with a very successful and promising promotion track. Was it what I wanted? No. But I let those around me influence my choice into settling in to what was easy, rather than what I wanted. The deadline for my tuition deposit at my preferred university came and went, I sent nothing. That was it. I had made my choice. I started classes at the local community college and continued training at my store. Funny thing about stifling dreams though, they tend to creep back up and make you resent every single thing in your life you are currently settling for.

I quit the store. I stopped taking the classes.

Surprised? I wasn't.

Fast forward through a slump of being a bum more or less and here we are. I am by no means an unhappy person. I love my life despite it's current speed of going nowhere. Up until recently I was perfectly content with "I'll go back to school soon."

Now I don't know about you but sometimes I need to find a quiet place, with no notifications, tweets, or texts, and just think. I almost always have life changing epiphanies in these moments.

Truth is, you can put off your goals forever if you'd like. Honestly...no one cares. I could be a waitress/receptionist for the rest of my life and it wouldn't make a difference. The question you need to ask yourself is whether or not you're okay with settling into a life rather than choosing it. My answer to that question is absolutely not. Stop making excuses for yourself. You can legitimize literally anything inside of your own head, that will do nothing for you beside make you feel better about turning your back on your dreams. I realize it may seem easier to have this perspective as a nineteen year old, at times even I think it may be too late. I often feel behind, and I understand how easy it is to become discouraged and fall right back into the settling that I am trying to get you to avoid. But it isn't.
Even in the year that I have put off setting my life into motion I feel like I've gained so much insight and wisdom into what I want out of my future. Don't follow other people's time line.

Again, this is your life and yours only.

You make the choices. You make the changes. You live with yourself every single day.
Don't choose to live any one of those days with regrets.

courtesy of the red white and blue.

First and foremost, Happy Veteran's day! I am very lucky to know so many great men and women I can say that to. I am proud of you each and every day. I love driving down Lincoln and looking at the names on literally every telephone pole and smiling at the fact that almost every one is a familiar face. If any of you live in Charleston and had to be at work early this morning you saw the two young boys, I believe they were boy scouts, putting American Flags on each one of those very same poles. I don't care who you are, that warms the heart.

Holidays like today always get me thinking...and you know when I get to thinking..I get to blogging. Thinking about how for most of my generation Veteran's Day is just another meaningless holiday to post a quick Facebook status about, or maybe get out of school or work for. This saddens me. I realize our country has more than it's fair share of problems, but the lack of respect that so many people have for our veterans and our country is absolutely ridiculous. You don't agree with our President? You disagree with where our soldiers are now? Fine, you are perfectly able to voice those opinions. Disagreeing with something does not give you the right to disrespect it. You think that when our Grandparents were younger they would have slapped a ONE BIG ASS MISTAKE AMERICA bumper sticker on the back of their car? Helll no. Because there used to be such a thing as patriotism. I realize our country has done plenty of things to make having pride in it a little more difficult, fine, touche. I agree. If you want to put ignorant redneck bumper stickers all over everything you own...go for it. I just don't particularly understand why it seems to be the cool new thing among young people to hate America while sitting on your butt and doing nothing to change anything. I really appreciate that you believe you can solve all of our government's problems by writing a Tweet or Facebook status, now how about you do something with your views that will actually make a difference?

Look at Vietnam, I disagree with a lot of things that happened on the protesting front, but at least those people weren't sitting on their asses and complaining about things they know nothing about and would rather not learn anything about. They believed they were losing their America, and they wanted it back. I ask of my generation, "What is our America?" A group of whiny, uneducated, spoiled brats that think nothing of bad mouthing the men and women that give them the very right to do so. That seems to be our America.

It absolutely kills me when people talk negatively about the Armed Forces. I've heard everything from calling them uneducated to unnecessary. You know what I have to say to that? How about you go enlist. Better yet, go tell your opinions to a woman who has been widowed at twenty three. Tell a mother who will never see her daughter again. Why don't you go tell a little boy that his daddy died so people like you could fling around ignorant statements. Walk a woman down the aisle who never got to meet her father. Even better, go tell your views to a soldier that watched his brother take his last breath, for you.

I guess I have gotten a little off topic here, I could go on for pages upon pages about what I think of the majority of my generation. But I won't. What I am trying to say here is, next time you want to "fit in" and sling an insult at our military, think of what you're really saying. I guarantee you that if you really knew what you were talking about...you would feel like the biggest jackass this side of the globe. We all disagree with a lot of things, our government, the mess that we call the economy, hippies on Wall Street, sex, drugs, rock and roll...there is more than enough reason to do so. All I ask is that you keep the men and women that are fighting for their America out of your negative opinions. If not, at least remember who is allowing you to keep talking.