Signed, Midwestern Redhead

I'm like most teenagers these days in America. I like to hang out with my friends, I complain about homework when school likes to be mean to me, and I carry my phone like Linus in The Peanuts comic strip. Every teen grips their phone like a security blanket, always looking for a new Snapchat update or waiting to text the slightest, minor inconvenience to someone who will only care a fraction. When I go camping with my dad over the summer solstice, I always leave my phone at home, even though he questions me every year if I want it for the car ride. This year, I decided to pay attention to how I felt about leaving my phone at home. I'm getting ahead of myself; here's how it went for me. When I'm getting ready to leave, my dad asks the same question to me, "Are you sure you don't want to bring it for the car ride up?" I always reply, "No" because I either read or I pack movies I rarely watch for my portable DVD player, so I can enjoy them as a s...

In every country, every state, every city, every street, every house, there is a story. Each person experiences each day differently. No two people go through the same emotions, path, and more each day. Despite our differences in how we go through the day, our constant that will bind us together, no matter what, is change. Nothing in life stays constant forever, but change is, well, always changing. Think about where you were at this time last year. Health-wise, who you hung out with, your dreams and aspirations and everything in between. Are you shocked by the differences? At the time, you think everything is going to stuck in your version of glorious bliss forever. Little do we know that in 3 hours, 3 minutes, or even 3 seconds, nothing will never be the same. That's where we get the saying, "Cherish every moment because you will never get the same moment twice." Change doesn't always have to be the dreadful occurrence that you know is inevitable. Good changes as...