Strangers

It's sad when people you once knew so well turn into strangers and start to become all the things they said they'd never be. People can become blind and oblivious to the situation around them, it's almost like their common sense fails them and they only see what they want to see - rather than what's actually there, right in front of their very eyes. Promises are easily broken and friendships will never be set in concrete - that much has always been obvious, but even though we all know these facts when people actually do walk away or change beyond our recognition it's hard not to be slightly surprised. These things have a tendency to creep up on us somehow. It's happened to everybody at some point though, the time when a friend turns into a stranger. Before you'd perhaps talk for hours and then suddenly, in what seems like a brief moment - they are just another person who could quite easily walk straight past you in the street and you wouldn't even make eye contact. There isn't always a reason for friendships and relationships ending and falling apart, sometimes it's nobodies fault - it just happens. But it does remind us of the harsh reality - that everything inevitably changes.

Laura.

Song: Let's Stay Here by Greg Holden

Birthday

It was my seventeenth Birthday yesterday, it came around so quickly. I got some lovely things along with money for driving lessons - which I'm probably going to delay until after my AS exams. I might post a couple of photos of things I got given later on? Maybe, I'm not sure yet. I hope all of you had some pancakes yesterday too, it was pretty cool having my Birthday on Pancake Day. Also thank you to anyone who sent me Birthday messages.

Laura.

Song: What I've Done by Linkin Park

Stronger friendships?

"Friendships evolve and blossom in unexpected ways. Some inevitably die, yes, but some get unimaginably stronger." - Emma Beddington

Laura.

Song: Traveling in Twos by Luke Conard

Valentine's Day, again.

This is my third Valentine's Day post, I can't believe I've been blogging for about three years now! Anyway, I better get on with it and stop rambling like I always do...

Some people hate it, some people love it and others just couldn't care less. It's usually the people in relationships that love Valentine's Day - which isn't really very surprising. The rest of the population probably fall within the other two categories, personally it doesn't really bother me. Some people go on about how you 'shouldn't just show people you love them on one day of the year' but I don't think that's the case, it's just emphasised on Valentine's Day. I've never been in a relationship on Valentine's but that doesn't mean I automatically hate the day. I think it's a shame that people get down and depressed that they're single on Valentine's Day because when it comes down to it, it is just another day and it means different things to different people. So whether you're in a relationship or single this Valentine's Day, I hope you have a lovely day. Make sure you appreciate the people that are in your life, rather than wasting your time thinking about the ones that aren't.

Best wishes,

Laura.

Song: Walking On Sunshine Cover by Greg Holden

University

I've always wanted to go to University - but it always seemed so far away, a choice that can wait. Now it's slowly creeping up though and I've started seriously looking at possible choices and I'm torn. I want to go to a top end Uni but the entry requirements are pretty much always A*AA or AAB at the lowest, they don't really go down until you're looking at the bottom quarter of the ranked list. I don't want to aim impossibly high and then be disappointed but I also don't want to take the easy route. Aiming for those higher grades would mean putting myself under so much pressure, everything would depend on the exams in year 13 and I really don't know if it's worth it or not. I visited Oxford University last weekend and it was so lovely, all the lecturers were so enthusiastic and the place was just amazing. But along with that came the clear message that a lot of people don't even get shortlisted for an interview and if you don't get the grades required - you just won't get a place because there's so many others that want your place. Obviously all the top end universities are going to be pretty similar to this and it can be quite disheartening. It's not the amount of work I'd have to put in once I'm there that puts me off just the possibility of not getting in at all. In GCSE the teachers went on about having to get high grades and now all you they go on about is how competitive places in Universities are. Sometimes you can't help but feel like you might as well give up whilst your ahead because there's no chance of actually getting to where you want to be. I won't give up though because University is what I've been aiming for, for so many years now. It's a risk applying for a University with high entry grades and I'm just going to have to see if it's a risk that's worth taking...

Laura.

Song: Both by Greg Holden

Some People

Some people won't give you a chance to prove yourself to them because they base their opinion of you on prejudice, assumptions and other people's views of you. They really don't care about knowing what you're really like and they'll just hold things against you for no particular reason. The likely hood is that nothing you do or say will change their mind anyway. It's easy to say that people like that don't matter because they don't know the real 'you', but the fact is people who dislike me, do bother me. I know not everybody will always like you or get along with you - I just think it's unfair that there are some people that aren't willing to give everybody a chance...

Laura.

Song: Every Teardrop is a Waterfall by Coldplay