Let us be completely honest with ourselves here. You have a group of boys and girls together in a room.. would you rather have them segregated or integrated? You have a group of billions of different ethnic people in a room, integrated or segregated? You have groups of kids with different talents in a room, integrated or segregated?
Guess you got the theme, right?
Picture this. You walk into a room and you have all the girls on one side of the room and all the guys on the other. A wise old man walks up to you from the front of the room and tells you to find a seat wherever you'd like. Your choices are either: a seat next to a bunch of girls, giggling and talking together, or between a bunch of guys chillin on the other side of the room, having a good time too.
With all honesty, I'd be going to sit with the guys no questions asked. Although I also know very well that the majority of the girls walking into that room would walk towards the girls, afraid to step out of the obvious boundaries created between the two segregated groups. ( I don't seem to care.) And it would possibly be the same for guys although I haven't seen this act in action.
Again.. I know I'm super Mormon and all but give me a chance to explain. Growing up my parents were always cool with me hanging out with girls and guys alike. As long as they were good trustworthy kids. In opposition to this, my Mormon friends would ask their parents if they could go hang out with a group.. first three questions..
"Where are you going?"
"What are you doing?"
"Will there be any girls/boys there?"
.. and immediately your son/daughter thinks, "Oh man, okay if I answer yes will I be told I can't go or will they feel like they can trust me more 'cause I'm honest?"
By this question are modern day teens supposed to understand that the opposite sex is dangerous and not to be toiled with until the age of marriage has become reality? I mean seriously.. what? I'll be completely truthful.. I love boys.
My Top Five
1. Food
2. Dance
3. Music
4. Family
5. Boys
Why in life are teens taught that segregation is "right" and "safe" and "expected"? In my opinion, being kept away from life's greatest pleasure and danger, the opposite sex, makes especially rebellious, strong-willed, dumb teenagers (I plead guilty in this case) want it and fight for it even if it means hurting or losing the trust of a parent, leader, or favored adult in return.. just 'cause we're stupid like that.
And NOW for my absolute favorite analogy!!
The Jelly Bean Analogy
As a teenager we must taste all the jelly beans until we find the flavor we love! To know our favorite flavor we have to nibble and taste each flavor. Of course if someone tells you about a certain booger flavored jelly bean you will run like a bat outta hell to avoid it (or at least I'd sure hope so.)
(Quick experience update: I remember driving down the street with my mom one day and we came up along side a jelly bean semi. First thing that came out of my mouth, "Dang mom, imagine the amount of boys I'd get to taste!" .. Yes I speak my mind.)
So integration or segregation? I've put up my argument. Lets see what you y'all got in opposition.
Comment and Share,
My Love,
Alina Lauren Cooper
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Love's Definition
I'm sure many readers have played the 20 questions game with a friend before. If not, in this game you and a friend exchange questions, sometimes simple and other times difficult, until you basically run out of questions. (I've often times surpassed 20.) One particular time I was asked if I believed in love at first sight. Quickly and easily I answered that I did not. It was a simple question with a simple answer but ended in a long brought out discussion.
Going through this thoughtful argument I decided to look into it a little bit and figure out if it was possible.. I am honestly still at a loss. Maybe my readers can help me out?
Here is the beginning of our dilemma.. the dictionary definition -->
_________________________________________________
–noun
1. a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person.
2. a feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection, as for a parent, child, or friend.
3. sexual passion or desire.
_________________________________________________
(Yes, I did remove some useless definitions.)
My knowledge to the point of this conversation immediately set me on the track of "true love is definitely impossible." From what I could understand, love is a feeling you have towards someone you know and understand, number 3 in the definition bank would make my hypothesis wrong. Although 3 does not support my idea.. 2 more than explains my thoughts and 1 compliments the idea. With this in mind I went to the Bible for some thoughts also.. love is an important virtue in religion.
In religion, whenever you see the word love, charity also accompanies it. In this way of thinking love is also an action. Ever seen "Dan in Real Life?" For those of you who haven't the main character has a daughter who is madly "in love" with this boy, Marty. At one point in the movie Dan, the father, is yelling at the young man, "Marty you don't even know what love feels like! blah, blah, blah" and what not. After a few second of this Marty turns to the father and says very calmly
"Love is not a feeling, Mr. Burns. It's an ability."
Well looky here there are verb definitions for love.
–verb (used without object)
21. to have love or affection for another person; be in love.
Now.. I know this is a very broad topic of discussion and can be argued in many ways but I stand by my first belief. Love at first sight is impossible. Lust at first sight is probable. Distinguish the two from each other and you can be well on your way. Comment and add your thoughts to the mix.
"Love" to all,
Alina Lauren Cooper (;
Going through this thoughtful argument I decided to look into it a little bit and figure out if it was possible.. I am honestly still at a loss. Maybe my readers can help me out?
Here is the beginning of our dilemma.. the dictionary definition -->
_________________________________________________
–noun
1. a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person.
2. a feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection, as for a parent, child, or friend.
3. sexual passion or desire.
_________________________________________________
(Yes, I did remove some useless definitions.)
My knowledge to the point of this conversation immediately set me on the track of "true love is definitely impossible." From what I could understand, love is a feeling you have towards someone you know and understand, number 3 in the definition bank would make my hypothesis wrong. Although 3 does not support my idea.. 2 more than explains my thoughts and 1 compliments the idea. With this in mind I went to the Bible for some thoughts also.. love is an important virtue in religion.
In religion, whenever you see the word love, charity also accompanies it. In this way of thinking love is also an action. Ever seen "Dan in Real Life?" For those of you who haven't the main character has a daughter who is madly "in love" with this boy, Marty. At one point in the movie Dan, the father, is yelling at the young man, "Marty you don't even know what love feels like! blah, blah, blah" and what not. After a few second of this Marty turns to the father and says very calmly
"Love is not a feeling, Mr. Burns. It's an ability."
Well looky here there are verb definitions for love.
–verb (used without object)
21. to have love or affection for another person; be in love.
Now.. I know this is a very broad topic of discussion and can be argued in many ways but I stand by my first belief. Love at first sight is impossible. Lust at first sight is probable. Distinguish the two from each other and you can be well on your way. Comment and add your thoughts to the mix.
"Love" to all,
Alina Lauren Cooper (;
Friday, July 16, 2010
Whats up?
I've heard this question a billion times in my life. Whether it was through a text, in person, or on the phone, this phrase is constantly being thrown out to people and the one talking is always expecting an answer.
The Usual: "Nothing much, you?" or "Just chillin" or during the school year "Doing homework." K seriously... what's up with that? If we were going to make an account of our lives second by second, our descendants would be very bored reading our journals..
Dear Diary,
At 11:54 AM Billy Bob texted me asking "whats up?" I replied "nothing much you?" and guess what he told me?! .. "Nothing much"
.. Taking this into account I've decided to become much more interesting when I reply to this question.. a few ideas include ->
"Not much just eating these tasty saltines topped with a really fatty cheese that will probably add to my growing body fat which I will later decide to work off so as to avoid looking obese."
"Oh you know reading a book.. Its funny, whenever I read a book I picture myself as the main character and take every other character in the book and compare them to my friends and acquaintances. Just as a funny coincidence, your character happens to be a blood thirsty, gun-obsessed girl who chases down goblins. (Or if you're a guy you may possibly be the pending boyfriend who finds enjoyment in helping me with my biology homework.)"
"Daydreaming about my future. As of this moment we're getting married after I finish four years of college and we're having 9 babies, three sets of twins in the mix. We're gonna have 7 dogs, and 4 fish. I'll be a dance teacher, and you'll be a chiropractor (because they make a heck of a lot of money) and we'll take yearly vacations to Hawaii, Canada, and North Carolina. How do you like that idea?"
.. obviously you'll completely confuse the opposite end of the conversation but at least there's some fun in it! I challenge anyone reading this to try it! .. and obviously if you ask me "whats up?" .. don't be expecting a simple answer.
'Til next time,
Alina Lauren Cooper
:)
The Usual: "Nothing much, you?" or "Just chillin" or during the school year "Doing homework." K seriously... what's up with that? If we were going to make an account of our lives second by second, our descendants would be very bored reading our journals..
Dear Diary,
At 11:54 AM Billy Bob texted me asking "whats up?" I replied "nothing much you?" and guess what he told me?! .. "Nothing much"
.. Taking this into account I've decided to become much more interesting when I reply to this question.. a few ideas include ->
"Not much just eating these tasty saltines topped with a really fatty cheese that will probably add to my growing body fat which I will later decide to work off so as to avoid looking obese."
"Oh you know reading a book.. Its funny, whenever I read a book I picture myself as the main character and take every other character in the book and compare them to my friends and acquaintances. Just as a funny coincidence, your character happens to be a blood thirsty, gun-obsessed girl who chases down goblins. (Or if you're a guy you may possibly be the pending boyfriend who finds enjoyment in helping me with my biology homework.)"
"Daydreaming about my future. As of this moment we're getting married after I finish four years of college and we're having 9 babies, three sets of twins in the mix. We're gonna have 7 dogs, and 4 fish. I'll be a dance teacher, and you'll be a chiropractor (because they make a heck of a lot of money) and we'll take yearly vacations to Hawaii, Canada, and North Carolina. How do you like that idea?"
.. obviously you'll completely confuse the opposite end of the conversation but at least there's some fun in it! I challenge anyone reading this to try it! .. and obviously if you ask me "whats up?" .. don't be expecting a simple answer.
'Til next time,
Alina Lauren Cooper
:)
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Desire, Discipline, Destiny
As I said in a previous post I've been working a lot on my dance, harp, piano, and writing talents. During the school year my English class was given an assignment to write an essay on the things that high school teens carry. This subject ran through my head for a week before (I'm sorry to say) last minute, I actually sat down and wrote it. Since then, I've taken time and made some changes to my essay and decided to post it for people to read. Hope you enjoy.
The Things They Carried
They walk to an underlying beat. Their steps blend into a melody consisting of dramatic, melancholy, and upbeat moods to create the movement of their story. The tones of their paces reflect their individual lives. Some are influenced by the things they carry and yet some manipulate their situations to carry what defines them.
The bag pulses with a rhythmic drop, resulting from the deep pull of gravity toward the earth. Weightless thoughts rush through the carrier’s head as she rushes on through her schedule. She worries about her many grades, her fitting behavior, and her constant focus on the work placed before her. She overworks her intellect and deprives herself of sleep on a daily basis, hoping that what she learns is sufficient to either her parents’ lost legacy or her hope of a successful life.
He walks through the hallway, his muscles, bones, tendons and all else throbbing with the pain of hours of exercise. He stands tall, trying to carry the weight of the eyes around him, always watching for a slip in character to gossip about. His bag isn’t heavy with books or learning material because of the need to make room for his sports equipment, cologne, I-pod, and any other object to boost his status. He carries in his heart the hopes of gaining a scholarship through his athletic ability, knowing he won’t do well otherwise.
She carries the knots in her hair, the dirt under her fingernails, and the bruises from constant impact from an unnamed being’s beatings. Why should she tell? She carries the weight of her jailed up mother and drugged up father, keeping them as certain reminders of the life she wants to avoid but seems tied to. Her feet drag her on, creating the constant bass-line of the sonata of life. She hides away her personal drugs, hoping soon to find a place to hide and get away from reality. Although she wants to stop, the addiction only pulls her farther in. She carries no hope.
These lives all differ and yet all connect. They create different parts of a melody, some notes recognized more than others and some playing part as the constant beat keeping everyone else in line. Their paths cross and parts unify and harmonize to create the complicated lives of modern day teenagers.
_______________________________________________
Keep reading my posts and let me know its being read. Thank you to anyone who took the time to read this.
Until I write again,
Alina Lauren Cooper
The Things They Carried
They walk to an underlying beat. Their steps blend into a melody consisting of dramatic, melancholy, and upbeat moods to create the movement of their story. The tones of their paces reflect their individual lives. Some are influenced by the things they carry and yet some manipulate their situations to carry what defines them.
The bag pulses with a rhythmic drop, resulting from the deep pull of gravity toward the earth. Weightless thoughts rush through the carrier’s head as she rushes on through her schedule. She worries about her many grades, her fitting behavior, and her constant focus on the work placed before her. She overworks her intellect and deprives herself of sleep on a daily basis, hoping that what she learns is sufficient to either her parents’ lost legacy or her hope of a successful life.
He walks through the hallway, his muscles, bones, tendons and all else throbbing with the pain of hours of exercise. He stands tall, trying to carry the weight of the eyes around him, always watching for a slip in character to gossip about. His bag isn’t heavy with books or learning material because of the need to make room for his sports equipment, cologne, I-pod, and any other object to boost his status. He carries in his heart the hopes of gaining a scholarship through his athletic ability, knowing he won’t do well otherwise.
She carries the knots in her hair, the dirt under her fingernails, and the bruises from constant impact from an unnamed being’s beatings. Why should she tell? She carries the weight of her jailed up mother and drugged up father, keeping them as certain reminders of the life she wants to avoid but seems tied to. Her feet drag her on, creating the constant bass-line of the sonata of life. She hides away her personal drugs, hoping soon to find a place to hide and get away from reality. Although she wants to stop, the addiction only pulls her farther in. She carries no hope.
These lives all differ and yet all connect. They create different parts of a melody, some notes recognized more than others and some playing part as the constant beat keeping everyone else in line. Their paths cross and parts unify and harmonize to create the complicated lives of modern day teenagers.
_______________________________________________
Keep reading my posts and let me know its being read. Thank you to anyone who took the time to read this.
Until I write again,
Alina Lauren Cooper
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Life's Improvements
Change is a funny thing. Some things in life are influenced by change and some change influences things in your life. Recently moving has been a change influencing my life.
I now room and board with my brothers, Izaak and Marcus Cooper, and my cousin, Brayden Schaffer. Our "bedroom" is directly connected to the kitchen.. and I mean directly. I now know that I either have to become a deeper sleeper or wake up early enough to not be disturbed in the morning. This is the beginning of my Change Process.
I am beginning to wake up earlier in the morning and go "running" with Izaak, my brother. Although he can outrun me easily he always makes a point to stop and wait for me after about a block. Now, I'm plenty aware I don't run fast. I don't need to be reminded, but I believe this is a good habit to get into.
I can also really be a pig by nature. I LOVE food! I will eat until I'm completely bloated unless told not to. Living in a new home I've learned to eat a little less food and manage without stuffing myself (also a very good habit since dance, my usual form of exercise, is over for the summer.)
Given my current situation, I feel I have a lot more time throughout the day. I've set myself a few goals and created a checklist for myself, once I finish a certain task I move on to the next and also add to the list anything I find useful. For example, reading "The Total Money Makeover," creating a certain amount of friendship bracelets, and reading the Book of Mormon. I will keep an update for anyone interested.
As many know, I love to dance and choreograph. I have had many experiences teaching choreography and later been told I taught something that I'm very sure I didn't. I am now getting into the habit of keeping a binder filled with choreography ideas and possible songs to use. With so much time on my hands, why not? I have also continued playing the harp and piano. I got a guitar for Christmas this last December. I am very sorry to say I haven't even picked up the poor thing. Also another goal on my list now along with learning to play the organ, which shouldn't be too difficult.
This change has brought on an opportunity for me to realize where I am lacking and accomplish things to improve my situation. Yes, its hard at times but I'm starting to believe the outcome will be completely worth it. Thank you to all who are reading my blog. Until next time.
Alina Lauren Cooper
I now room and board with my brothers, Izaak and Marcus Cooper, and my cousin, Brayden Schaffer. Our "bedroom" is directly connected to the kitchen.. and I mean directly. I now know that I either have to become a deeper sleeper or wake up early enough to not be disturbed in the morning. This is the beginning of my Change Process.
I am beginning to wake up earlier in the morning and go "running" with Izaak, my brother. Although he can outrun me easily he always makes a point to stop and wait for me after about a block. Now, I'm plenty aware I don't run fast. I don't need to be reminded, but I believe this is a good habit to get into.
I can also really be a pig by nature. I LOVE food! I will eat until I'm completely bloated unless told not to. Living in a new home I've learned to eat a little less food and manage without stuffing myself (also a very good habit since dance, my usual form of exercise, is over for the summer.)
Given my current situation, I feel I have a lot more time throughout the day. I've set myself a few goals and created a checklist for myself, once I finish a certain task I move on to the next and also add to the list anything I find useful. For example, reading "The Total Money Makeover," creating a certain amount of friendship bracelets, and reading the Book of Mormon. I will keep an update for anyone interested.
As many know, I love to dance and choreograph. I have had many experiences teaching choreography and later been told I taught something that I'm very sure I didn't. I am now getting into the habit of keeping a binder filled with choreography ideas and possible songs to use. With so much time on my hands, why not? I have also continued playing the harp and piano. I got a guitar for Christmas this last December. I am very sorry to say I haven't even picked up the poor thing. Also another goal on my list now along with learning to play the organ, which shouldn't be too difficult.
This change has brought on an opportunity for me to realize where I am lacking and accomplish things to improve my situation. Yes, its hard at times but I'm starting to believe the outcome will be completely worth it. Thank you to all who are reading my blog. Until next time.
Alina Lauren Cooper
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