Happiness "From the Editor."

So Library today...first I had to color a picture of a castle. The model she gave me looked so pretty, so I tried to make mine like that. Yeah, it looks more like "for 3-year-olds, by 3-year-olds." I did a terrible job. The crayons were those real waxy ones that stick, and they were all really dull, but my biggest problem was my lack of an eye for matching colors. I tried to scratch one off to make it lighter and then color over it to make it blend with the color scheme, but I ended up making it worse. And the crayons had blunt edges, so I didn't even stay inside all the lines...

My second task: I was given a big plastic jar full of a billion different shaped sequins. I had to separate the ones shaped like leaves from the rest. I actually liked doing it--definitely more fun than cutting--but when she told me what to do, I was thinking Psyche and Aphrodite.

Oh, the highlight of my day! I was brimming with enthusiasm. My newspaper teacher said I could proofread some articles for grammar (this one freshman...I was about to go find it on the computer and take out those commas myself. It was really bothering me.), but one of them that I saw was a "From the Editor." That made my entire year. I'm not as afraid of them anymore. At least, they won't show up in my dreams anymore, giving me impossible tasks and glaring menacingly.

Anyway, MY POINT: This article was nothing special! It was an editorial about Freshman Friday, and let's say I'm not going to worry too much anymore when they pull out the seniority card. Being a nice person, and even on here, I feel like it's not my place to comment on the editor-in-chief's article, they (I think it's the girl) used a bunch of cliches, the grammar was worse than that Freshman, and it sounded like they were trying too hard to be politically correct, professional, and to say what they think the administration would like to hear. You have no idea how hard it is to hold back on this. I wanted to red-pen that thing like you have no idea. I wanted to comment on it like they commented on mine. I wanted to take it home so I could reference specific lines in my cathartic rant to whomever would listen, but that would have been mean...

Of the two editors-in-chief, I've never been afraid of the guy. He has talent, so I know it would help me to listen to him, but I went to newspaper camp with him. His, uh, self-confidence amused me. I know he likes to talk big, and I know he's not perfect either.

The girl...I didn't know anything about her going into this, and I don't like having to figure people out. After a few classes though, she bothered me. I realized I have to do what she says anyway, even though I would like to glare at her if I wasn't afraid to make eye contact. She intimidates me.

A lot of my newspaper stress comes from trying to do things right to make my section editor happy. I actually admire her--I read old articles from last year's paper, and she's a good writer, too--and she has a lot to do, so I didn't want to make things harder for her. Plus, she has to deal with Mr. and Miss High and Mighty more often than I do. If I hated everyone in newspaper, I might just take a "screw it" attitude to the whole thing and write what I want. If they just want to talk big and use their pretty editor cards just because they have them, then they can fix my article themselves. Fortunately for my grade, I respect my section editor.

I am going to ask people to read it and tell me what they think. If it goes in like that, even with the grammar fixed, I will be happy to follow their orders for the rest of the year, content in knowing that they're no better than I am. They're just older.

Love and catharsis,
Juliana <3