Transportation through the years.

  My life was filled with many different forms of cars, ranging from BMW to Fords. This includes the slight pain-in-the-arse old (horrendous) bangers. We - Well my family - were prone to having these cars.
   Surely, everyone has had the torture of sitting in a car that may or may not break down in the middle of the road, It's horrible. If not... keep it that way, don't risk it.
   Today we are down to a small three door Ford - I think.. - and a large, white van. - My mother's partners of course.
   My mother has had her journeys in the van and she was not pleased. Picture it this way: your mother in the passenger seat, sun glasses on, visor down, hair down, scarf covering half of face, large jacket and trying to keep as low as possible, this was to stop her from being seen by people she may or not know. It may seem humorous but if you are going on a rather long journey it may appear quite tedious. Sitting next to her, in the van, is possibly the worst choice anyone might make, especially me.
   My mother's partner is the most relaxed man I have ever met, however his driving may be the opposite, it's quite like going on a go kart and swerving around every corner - so my mother thinks, I just think it's funny because she makes it sound so over-exaggerated.
   Swerving round the corners in this large white truck, mum screaming and insulting his 'horrific driving skills' then his reaction of a 'Woah, woah, woah.' is the most strangest and original thing I've experienced within a car.
   So the opinions of my families choices of cars are very.. uh.. different.
   My mother wouldn't ever want to be in a van, so it appears and well, as for her partner, he is happy to drive anything that has wheels, especially a Mercedes.
   Me? I would want to stick with a yellow and black motorbike. No, I know they are not as safe as cars and more accidents and blah, blah, blah. I just like the thought of riding the bike on my own and not having the complaints of the passenger next to me. The colour scheme? I love yellow and black on a bike, it looks more sleek.. if you know what I mean? No? Obviously, after a few years I would save for a car and lessons.
    Traumas of a 'family drive' can be happy, fun, annoying or just plain rip-your-hair-out stressful, who knows? Well, you know a few of the experiences I've been through whilst on a 'family outing' are your experiences worse?
~ Soph.

Changing myself to suit you.

 So, I'm sure everyone has had a comment or an insult thrown at them, I know I have. 
 Why should people be able to define someone in one negative word and change or control their feelings? By letting them get to you isn't that a form of them having power? 
 The odd insults like "You're ugly" or "You are so fat, omg." "You're so self centered." are often said about someone who isn't seen as the model type that you see on Vogue or Heat. People who aren't the same as you aren't 'weird.'
 Everyone is unique and original, inside and out. However some take longer to realize that and find a need to put others in the categories. 
So when you get an insult what do you do? Do you: 
1. Save it in a small jar to look at on a rainy day. 
2. Take the 'thought' into consideration and change yourself to please everyone else.
3. Just ignore it.
   If you picked one - sometimes I do this, not going to lie. - you are letting them have control of what you feel and knocking your confidence down one piece at a time. They shouldn't be the one to judge you and define you. It may sound more difficult but sometimes it's a matter of looking at them and thinking "Why should they be the one to insult me, are they perfect?" I would doubt it if they are commenting on you.
  If you picked two you may want to go back to basics. Look at your life and what you enjoy most. Don't follow the crowed if you're fed up with it, do things that you like and have independence. You're beautiful no matter what anyone says and you should never feel the need to change for someone, ever.
  Picking three would appear the best option, I certainly would agree. Battling the people's comments by ignoring them shows you are mature and you know that you are yourself, that's all you should be. - unless you are an actor.
  Self confidence is one of my biggest issues. I'm always looking at the magazines dreaming of having that perfect smile, Hair and body. Looking at myself in the mirror basically all that appeared in my head was insults aimed at myself. - I know, hypocrite. - Reading one book changed my perspective, I can't remember what it was called but it explained something that has stayed on my mind for a few years. "If you keep spotting your 'down points' where is it going to get you? Somewhere where you don't think you are good enough for something probably." - For one week try this and see how you feel, it helped me. - "Look at yourself in the mirror, stop looking at the bad points on your body. Look at things that you actually like. Look at your eyes, your smile or even your curves. You are beautiful. Tell yourself that at least five times when you look in the mirror and mean it, I challenge you." 
   Trying that actually made me stop and look at myself. Not only on the outside but I looked at my personality, what I wanted changing and what I actually liked. One by one I felt the bricks being put back into place helping with my confidence. 
   I believe you can actually get somewhere, I did. You are beautiful and worth it.
~ Soph.

Snow.

   Snow is either truly amazing or simply horrible.
   I have mixed feelings about snow. I mean it's England. It's nice to have a change from the rain that appears every time you 'look perfect' but instead you turn out to look like drowned cat, but snow is like rain's evil twin.
   It disguises itself as a cute, little pom-pom type sheep falling from the sky; it's worse than what it appears. Not only is it cold, when it sticks to you it melts. This causes me and about 87% of others to get to the brink of body parts detaching themselves due to how cold we could actually get.
   The lucky 13%. These are the people who are sensible enough to wear multiple pairs of underwear, tops, trousers, jumpers, jackets and socks. They then waltz around like a hot water bottle with legs, arms and slightly visible heads.
    As a young child, snow is this new creation, a lot like discovering glitter for the first time. - It's the same troubles as well clearing up after that day of "fun" creations, there's always glitter or lumps of snow on the floor. My mother had to endure those painful and probably tedious days, I'm sure your mother or father did also. - I used to be out in the cold as these tiny flakes floated and drifted down to my frozen, red cheeks, my mouth open as wide as possible to give me the best advantage of catching them. Normally they went into my eyes causing me to be blind. - We've all been at the point of fearing for their sight. This is mine, happening multiple times.
   Snowball fights are honestly the most painful, evil but slightly amusing experience to-date. Getting hit with a 'light ball of snow' is one thing; getting a lump of 'hard snow' in the face is another. Throwing it at someone you dislike, amazing. - Or a friend if it's a body hit. - The odd challenge and banter within a snowball fight is fun, until you are getting chased by your older brother, rugby tackled and getting snow repeatedly poured down the back of your top... causing you to look like the next walking corpse. - Not actually be one, just look like one.

   Hidden ice can be seriously fun, once discovered, or just plain horrific. Seeing your friends slip on ice is possibly amusing but when it happens to me, more than once, I feel like throwing a wellington at whoever may find the incident remotely funny. This seemed to happen to me four times in a row, in front of my friends dad and landed on my bum, the tedious thing was... I was standing still when I slipped... four times. Discovering ice and not slipping over makes me feel like the next ice skating champion. - I wouldn't appear it, I would most likely look like a monkey on skates, that's how graceful I actually am.
    I don't quite know what I feel about snow, just yet. I probably sound like a version of scrooge who hates anything cold and wet, that's just me though. Being cold isn't fun but what do you think about it? I'm sure plenty of you will disagree with me and all the points I've made, had more exciting things happen or even waiting for someone to use snow as the next violent, free weapon on offer. Hopefully you are the one to get all those 'snow abusing' people back. Have fun. I know I will, indoors.
~ Soph.

Not the normal thing that occures on Sunday

  Our family, in some cases, is a lot like anyone else's family; after what occurred today you will most likely disagree with me. 
   Sundays is the day you or I would spend relaxing and preparing for the dreaded day tomorrow... but today was different. 

  Yesterday, my mother's partner had brought home some dead birds: pheasants and ducks. Dread was all over my face, I was not a happy bunny. I dislike handling anything dead or in pain. - Saying this, I wouldn't mind going along with him shooting for the day, mainly because I know I would never actually have the guts to shoot something or I would miss. - 
   Today, I was confronted by my mother. I was being forced into plucking the birds that he had brought home. My blood basically dropped from my head and was travelling towards my feet. I mean, how would you feel? 
    Getting pressured into touching the bird was one thing, pulling out the feathers was a step too far. After about an hour of complaining, I put on the radio and sang to it trying, to stop the thought of the bird in my hands appearing in my head. 
    After doing the job of plucking this poor, innocent, free bird I ran to the comforts of my bed. I barely lifted a muscle. - Yes, my bed is basically where I hide, in the depths of my covers is where I am and feel the safest.
   I feel traumatized after this experience. It's one I never want to go through or hope that any of you go through, if you react the same way as I do.
   This was not a normal Sunday experience.
~ Soph.

Traumas of leaving the door unlocked.

    Living life in the Ellwood's residence isn't exactly the whole 'Unicorns and Rainbows.' Arguments tend to spontaneously erupt out of no where, mostly in the morning due to no one actually being a typical 'morning person.' 
    This one particular argument occurred due to me not eating breakfast. - not the best habit in the world but still. - My brother walked out before all the drama happened, then my mother's partner, then mum and then me. We went into the car oblivious about the door still being unlocked. 

    Walking home on a Friday to find your door unlocked seemed like one of the scream movies. - Walking into the house to find the murderer with a scream mask running around the house after you. I think I may be watching too many movies.
    Naturally me and my friend opened the door and walked into the hallway very timidly. We checked the whole bottom floor and found nothing. I walked upstairs and found the flask I had left there in the morning. 
    Hearing a noise in the spare room I grabbed it using it as my only decent weapon and preparing myself to hit the intruder around the head as hard as I could - not that I would look scary. I mean, come on. A sixteen year old, with a blue flask holding it like a baseball bat. Terrifying? I doubt it.. 
    Walking into the spare room took me quite a long time, I wanted to check if my room had had any damage done to it, then my brother's room. Nothing appeared to be wrong so I walked into the spare room, I was confronted by my cat diving into a pillow case. Not only was it a bit of a downer and all my adrenalin going to waste, I also had to save the case from the clasp of my cat or she would turn it into shreds. 
    The evening went on, I cooked us dinner, fed the cats and we sang to a few songs on the radio. We were fine until we heard footsteps in the hallway, we never heard the door actually open or close. The door to the kitchen was pushed open and not going to lie, I basically screamed and shouted at the same time. All in the face of my aunt. This is the reason why I always, always lock the door and you may need to also, just so you don't have the same experience as us, or worse.
~ Soph.

Feel the burn.

    This weather and temperature isn't, in my eyes, particularly the best... because I'm always, always cold, it always takes me ages to warm up and look less like a walking ice cube. Walking home, - well.. speed walking, simply because my fingers and nose would be at the point of detaching themselves from my body. - I walked into my house to find no one home.

     So, like any good daughter, I tidied up. Putting all the dishes away and sorting out some Christmas decorations.

     I lit a few candles because I actually love them, scented of course. - I love the vanilla ones. - By 'a few' I mean about 30 all on the table.
     Naturally I sorted them out so they weren't all together; some of them went on the windowsill and on the table/desk. I had my hair down and lent over the table. - Not going to lie it was a bit of a disaster. - I singed about half of my fringe off; the smell of burning hung within the room. - I felt like screaming and throwing a hundred tantrums at once. If a family member walked in just then, they would've been verbally attacked.
     I inspected the damage to see if anything had changed. The ends of my hair was shriveled and curled beyond repair, from far away I doubt anyone would see it. The smell was stuck on my hair. Thank god for scented candles. The vanilla had slightly masked the burning scent.
     Next time, I will only have three candles alight, with a parent with me, just to be safe. Mainly so I don't burn the house down next time.
~ Soph.

Get out of bed, lazy. It's Monday.

     Lazy is a term normally used by my mother and a few of my friends, mainly aimed at me. Yes, I admit it, I'm lazy. I go through days when I generally don't see the point in getting up for something that you can get later. - this is mainly why my homework can be late either due to that or me being very unorganized.
     Yesterday wasn't one of the lazy days. I had quite a lot of energy, too much if I'm honest.
     Going through these sudden peaks in energy levels can be annoying; I never feel satisfied until I have done something to use up most of my energy. So, like normal I resort to dance. I'm sure everyone; including you has had the odd 'Disco Groove' to some of the cheesiest songs... when home alone. I often do this a lot. The thing is, I will do it to whatever song comes on the radio next, heart radio, of course. No, I don't listen to 'radio one', like around 98% of my friends do.
      Lazy days will always be the best though. Sitting in bed on a Sunday morning - Well, afternoon, depending on what time you actually emerge from the depths of your bed. - Knowing you don't have to do that much for the rest of the day. Wearing Joggers and an unattractively large top isn't normally the highlight of the day, it would defiantly be the excuse for eating mostly anything edible, that has been bought from the loving supermarket and stored in your cupboard, then laying down on the floor whilst watching television because you may feel too full to move. Once this has started I never, ever, ever want a Monday to come along and spoil it, knowing you have to wait another full week until you can go through the small bit of paradise you went though just then.
       Don't make me go back, please!" is the morning statement I repeatedly say to my mother as she shouts at me to hurry up. - It's either getting a lift early or walking to school in a temperature of -14392 and winds that would most likely push me over due to energy and the amount I lack in the mornings. - The early morning alarm will always cause my eyes to glue together, my legs refuse to emerge from the warmth and comfort of my bed. I will press the 'Snooze' button on my phone repeatedly, hoping that the extra three minutes will help me have enough energy to actually face the cold that is bearing over me. This is the reason as to why about 82% of the worlds population never want to get up, mainly due to it being Monday. Dreaded Monday. The day that is loathed by nearly everyone, including me.
~ Soph.