College..

In high school I always tried to avoid being in a certain crowd, there are usually unwritten bylaws to being in a cliche. You can't hang out with these people, you have to dislike these people, you have to like these things, you do all sorts of things you might not necessarily do if you weren't hanging out with people who thought thay way. I've come to realize it's better to be everyone's friend, and have your own best friends. For better or worse I am a people pleaser, to an extent. No matter where I go I can generally get along with just about everyone, but usually don't get past the friend stage. First of all I have trust issues, but secondly, I'm more accepting than most people. Probably to a fault. I'm usually willing to believe people, however if they break my trust it's really hard for me to give it back.

College dynamics don't seem to be so different. There are still the popular people, the cliches, the wannabes, and those who are in the middle. Already, two months in two my time here, I've had opportunites to be part of certain groups. One I would have liked to have stayed in but do to circumstances out of my control, I could not. One I'm not sure I fit the cliche but rather am a good person to hang out with, and I'm more friends with just one of the people. Another I kind of am avoiding getting to serious with or too close to because I'm uncomfortable. I'm torn between staying in the group and distancing myself. Is it better to have a group you're uncomfortable with or to stay a drifter? I'm making the easy choice or lack of choice by not making a decision.

Halloween

Towards the end of October I began to see people huffily setting out there Halloween decorations, noticeably distraught about how they're currently using their time. At first I'm already shocked at how every holiday has become commercial. It's all about what you can buy and what your "house" looks like. I'm part of the downfall of society because I'm a die hard commercialized Christmas fan. When I get a house I'm getting the 12 ft. tree with all the ornaments, inside lights and decorations, and of course, all of the outdoor displays. Except, I love it! I can't wait for the day after Thanksgiving to start decorating for Christmas! So why are people who don't want to decorate their houses doing it? Yes, granted I live in a middle class to upper middle-class neighborhood. Is it an assumption we're all suppose to decorate our houses? 

I also find "For Sale" signs decorating countless lawns in the area. I can't walk down to the park without seeing at least five houses. In two small blocks, there are at least five family's homes on the market. At least five. In most cities in the Inland Empire, everyone is getting new neighbors so I think people are either forcing themselves to put out decorations or not doing it. In Moreno Valley alone the foreclosure rate, be it short sale or repossessed houses, is around 90%. Let's say there is 200,000 homes in the city, that means 180,000 are in the process or have been foreclosed. That is insane and sad! I don't pretend to know about the subprime loans or what caused the housing collapse, but I know you can't build a strong nation with strangers. So many people are moving that we may not even know even a handful of people around us. My mother is in the real estate industry and every night she comes back talking about the craziness we're all in. 

Pictures coming soon..