Ritual

Driven to Drive

My right of passage would be when I finally received my driver’s license. Because without my driver’s license, I felt so bad when I had to be dependent on other people to pick me up and drop me off places. And for my problem with the whole process of getting my license took about two long years. I started my driver’s training classes Fall of 2006. It was so stupid going to a class room and do packets of work that is straight out of the driver hand book. I remember sitting in the back, listening to my ipod in that freezing class room. While my Filipino teacher would try joking around with you, I would always try my hardest to avoid talking to him. After completing that class that I could have easily taken online, I took my permit test and passed the 1^st time. Then I started my behind the wheel training. My behind the wheel teacher was my same class room Filipino teacher. He was a good teacher it’s just that sometimes it takes me a while to learn things. So he would get mad at me for not knowing what to do. So after doing 3 driving sessions with him, I could now go practice with my parents. I would get lazy and not practice that much and basically didn’t go to the DMV for a while to take my behind the wheel test. I finally went and took it, I was so nervous that day, as we were waiting in line with my mom in the hot building of the DMV in Arleta. So we get to the front of the line and this was a day before my 18^th birthday, May 4^th, they said that I didn’t have the right paper work. And it wouldn’t matter if I had it or not by the next day because I was 18 by the next day. I had to leave and come back another day to take it. I ended up waiting too long and my permit expired. Well after that I had to study the handbook again so I could pass the permit test again. I headed to the Arleta DMV that day with my mom, confident as ever. I headed to the testing center with my head held high. I answered the questions to the best of my knowledge. I stood up and walked to the desk and handed my test to the lady so she could correct it. Then she handed it back saying I failed! I got 24 wrong! I was so confused. How could I fail something I already passed? A few weeks went by after that, and this time I did some deep studying. I headed back to the horrible place called the DMV, and I took my time on the test and I failed again! So then the lady said I can take it one more time but if I failed again I would have to pay $10 to take it again. The second time I was taking it that day I was praying to God that I would pass so badly. I turned my second test in and then she said I only got 14 wrong. I was so relieved. Now I just had to practice my actual driving. A few weeks pass after driving almost everyday with my parents. And I headed back to the horrible DMV, hoping it would be my last visit there for a while. I took the behind the wheel test with the same lady that failed me the 1^st time. Oh and did I mention that I failed because of an ambulance. I was heading down the street and I heard the ambulance and was about to pull over and she said in a stern voice “pull over!” and I knew I failed. But back to this time. I was so nervous, praying that I would pass this time, we went around the block and then she made me go into a neighborhood and then a busy street. Then she made me pull into the DMV, I parked the car and waited for her while she made notes on her clipboard. Trying to read what she was thinking off the expression of her face but I couldn’t. Then she looked up at me and said “Congratulations, you passed!” She smiled and handed me a paper saying I passed. So after dealing with drama with learning how to driver for 2 years, it sure pays off to be able to depend on myself to drive myself anywhere I want to. That is with my parents permission.

Versus

My Days

As a senior in high school, this year I have become so busy with every week. I go to school at Granada Hills Charter High School. I get to school around 7:30 am and leave around 1:00 pm. After that I usually head to my church, where I volunteer, and I am also a youth leader with the Youth Ministry at my Church. I go to the Center @ Granada Hills. I usually go by my church and see what I can help with. And if I cant do anything to help out, I will do my homework there or hang out with the Youth Pastor, who is also my best friend. After that I will head home (if Im not already there) and get ready for work. I work at a Grocery Stored by the name of Hows. There is only 5 in Southern California. And I usually work a 4 o’clock to 10 shift. That’s because my boss thinks that I can only work at night. Oh well. But I go to school 5 days a week. I go to church 3 days a week. And I go to work about 4 days a week. So I have a pretty busy schedule. I remember in my previous years in high school I would come home from school and be so bored and have nothing to do. I would sometimes spend my Saturdays alone, watching tv, going online, or play video games. Now I can’t even remember the last day I had nothing to do. Even on my days off I am busy. But these are my norms. Now when I get out of this routine I have created, it kind of messes up everything. Like if I don’t have church on a Wednesday, I would be at work or at home, and it would confuse me because I am usually not at those places on a Wednesday night. Also I normally work Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday/Sunday. Now if I have a Monday off of work, I freak out because I am at home (there is nothing wrong with being home) but I love it because I get to catch up on playing wii fit or I get to work on something I don’t normally have time to work on. In a way these things conflict with my norms because it is a change in my schedule.

Social Networking

Travis Gergen is typing on Donald’s new laptop. 2:20 pm

I personally think that social networks today are becoming more and more useless. It seems like they are more to keep someone busy while they are bored. Or give someone a purpose. I am saying this because social networks like facebook and mypace are meant to keep people social with others. But it seemed to me that when I didn’t have a myspace, (because one summer I was tired of all the drama myspace caused so I deleted my account and I had mostly a drama free summer) I had fun without it as well. In a way it is also good because you keep in contact with long distance friends. But I only made one to view pictures of friends and stuff, only because I am interested in seeing pictures of people. I don’t go on myspace and try to get a million friends and try to get 200 comments on each picture. I look at myspace as a place to share a little bit of information with my friends. But from time to time I do enjoy myspace but I am so glad I am not one of those “myspace whores” the ones that go on every chance they get and have these decked out profiles. If you go look at my profile, it is plain and simple. Because I am cool like that. The only thing that I concern myself with on my myspace is my pictures. I think it is because my fascination with pictures that drives me to do that. I am not the person who tries to get the best possible shots of myself on page. I use pictures that include my friends or maybe have been taken by my friends. But I cant really choose a side because I am on both sides. I think it can be bad if there is too much information about yourself on your page or something. And I am not really cool with very young kids having social networks because they don’t even need them. And to be perfectly honest, I don’t need a social network. I can do fine without one.