I've been a fan of Glee since January and I was truly sad to read that Cory Monteith, who played Finn on the show, had passed away. He was a good singer and actor. Also, he seemed like a cool, nice guy on all the interviews that I've seen. I really hope that the media won't taint his memory with lies; have some respect for his family, friends, and fans. All Gleeks will miss him.
Last week, I went to Wonderland Camp and it was such fun. I
saw my old friends: Faith, Dustin, Alena, Angie, Michelle, Justin, Austin,
Chris, JJ, Kortney, and Jason. I met new friends too: Brandi, Chelsea, Taylor,
Josh, Brad, and Megan. My friend Scott also came to visit me for a
day on Sunday and I was very excited. It was so, so, so nice to see him again!!
He gave me a cool looking hat that had my name on it, which I wore the rest of
the week. On Sunday, we had a pool party but it felt like swimming in ice water
so I hung out at the campfire. First days at camp always make me so happy. It’s
like a welcoming party at my second home.
On Monday, after a long and winding walk to the water front,
we rode the boat. At first, Kortney and I were giggling and joking. Then,
because the waves were so relaxing, we fell asleep on each other’s shoulders.
Later, in Music, we played musical squares (like musical chairs) and we
pretended that we were in the jungle. Then, Crafts, we tie-dyed our shirts. My
shirt was blue and red, attempting to make purple (the attempt failed but the
shirt was still cool).
After dinner, that
evening, we had karaoke night. While Chelsea held the microphone, I sang
Madonna’s “Like a Prayer”. It was great! I also danced and hung out with
friends. As a joke, Brad took my hat and Kortney, JJ, Josh, and I chased him
around. It was so funny.
On Tuesday morning, we had pool time. Kortney and I went to
the splash pad, Wonderland’s mini water park. There were all kinds of sprinklers
of all sizes everywhere. Someone would run with us through the water and we
loved it! After hours of complete fun, it was rest time. I sat outside with
Faith, talked, wrote in my journal, and watched people. I love watching the
activity around camp at quiet time; watching people play basketball, laugh and
walk around, or go in and out of their cabins. It makes me smile for some odd
reason.
Later, in Crafts, we
made paper monkeys. The monkeys supposed to hang on doorknobs and they were
sort of cute. In Rec, we played an
ice-breaker game. We got in a circle and threw a ball to each other. If the
ball came to you, you had to say your name and something that you like. I said:
“My name is Lena and I like Peter Pan.” (That’s all that I could think of at
the time). After dinner, it was the
carnival. There were games, prizes, face painting, and snow cones. Even though
it was extremely hot outside, I had a blast!
On Wednesday, in Music, we had talent show practice. I could
already tell that the talent show would be fun later. For Nature, we had a
scavenger hunt. We ran all over camp looking for things, which was amusing. We
also got to pet a turtle at the field and it was adorable. Later, we had pool
time. I went to the splash pad for a while and then hung out with Faith at the
cabin.
After dinner, the talent show began. For our group talent,
we did the “Cha Cha Slide”, which was hilarious. For my individual talent, I
sang Britney Spears’ “Oops, I Did It Again.” All of the talents were
entertaining. Every time that a good song came on, everyone in audience would
get up, dance, and sing along. It felt more like an actual concert than a camp
talent show. It was wonderful.
Before bed, Kortney, Faith, and I laid back and looked up at
the magnificent stars. It was such a pretty night. The three of us just
relaxed, talked, and made wishes on the stars. It was a good ending to the day.
On Thursday, Faith and I hung out in the game room for most
of the day. We were playing our favorite songs and playing video games but it
wasn’t until that afternoon that I got the most awesome surprise ever this summer!!
Everyone was waking up from their rest. I was debating whether I wanted to go
to Beauty Shop or not, since Faith did my hair and nails during rest time, when
Angie burst in the door, saying, “Can I borrow Lena?” Then, she drove me
outside without another word. I barely had time to put on shoes (I think that
Chelsea only got to put one shoe on me). A group of my friends were outside,
including Mary, Morgan, and Lois. They all had goofy smiles on their faces.
Having no clue what was going on, I just said hi. I saw someone crouching
behind Lois but I couldn’t see who it was at first. Then, that someone stood up and walked towards
me with a grin. It was Joe!!! I let out the loudest, happy squeal that I’m
pretty sure that the whole camp could hear. I hadn’t seen him in two years so I
was beyond ecstatic. Being unable to say
anything besides hi at that moment, I just hugged him. It was awesome seeing
him. He then told me that he was staying for the dance, which made JJ and me delighted.
Joe came with us to Beauty Shop and I asked him to drive me (like old times).
Even though I went to Beauty Shop, I really just talked to Joe (I was planning
to put on my make-up after dinner anyway). We talked about random stuff and he
had me laughing as always. He also knew the words to “Lucky”, my favorite
Britney Spears song, which I thought was so sweet. He then went to his car for
a minute to get something and when he came back, he had something silver in his
hand. It was his chain necklace. It had a cross and a tag that had a beautiful
Bible verse on it. He wore it at boot camp and now he was giving it to me. It
felt so cool that I was the one that he was giving his necklace to.
Later on, the dance began. I wore a lacy, blue shirt, my
favorite pair of skinny jeans, my black shoes, black nail polish, blue eye shadow,
and black mascara and eyeliner. My hair was also very spiked. I truly felt like
a rock star! I danced with Joe and other friends. I got out of my chair more
than once. I was having a blast, dancing and acting silly. All I could see were
spinning lights and smiles. It was impossible not to feel jovial. I was even more on cloud nine when Joe told me
that he might volunteer in August. Everything was perfect. After the dance, he drove my chair on high
speed to my cabin. We beat Kortney. It was an hour before JJ and me went in our
cabins. I don’t know how many times I hugged him bye. I just was so happy that
he came and I’ll admit it, I was very hyper from the dance too. We finally said
bye to Joe and went to bed. I’ll never forget that day; best time ever!!!!!!!
On Friday, the bittersweet day, everyone was packed and
wearing their camp shirts. People were signing each other’s shirts and hugging.
I got the Bundle O’ Fun Award for always being happy. Last week was so special
to me. I saw old friends and met some great new ones. The whole week was one,
big, fun adventure where anything could happen. I can’t wait to go back to my
secondary home.
The other day, I was talking to my mom about what old movies
that I would love to be remade and one
of those movies is Jim Henson’s “Labyrinth”. It’s a fantasy movie and with
today’s technology, along with the classic Henson style, it would be cool. Mom
thinks that it’s crazy but I think that Adam Lambert would be awesome as the
Goblin King as well. David Bowie played that part in the original movie and he
was outlandish and sang amazingly. Adam is a very outlandish performer and has
an astounding voice. He would be perfect. Come on Brian Henson , this would be
incredible!
Also, looking at creepy drawings of Alice on Flickr one day, I was talking to
my friend Peter about how “Alice in Wonderland” would be a good horror movie if
it was done right. I think that the majority of fairy tales shouldn’t be changed into something evil or dark at all but Alice could work. When you think about
it, some of the themes in the books are sort of dark anyway like people getting
beheaded.
In a world so harsh, so cruel, it’s so easy to give up.
Another news story always seem like another tragedy but I believe in the light.
Let’s just hope, just smile, just show kindness to one another.
My prayers and thoughts are with the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing.
I realize how lucky I am to have such awesome family and
friends. I realize that not everyone has angels on Earth to protect them and
that God has truly blessed me. I find the beauty, the magic in our laughter, in
our obstacles. Nothing can break me as long as love and understanding surrounds
me.
Thirteen-year-old Fayette “Fay” Marigold was petite for her
age but had the biggest personality and mind. She was fearless, opinionated,
loud, and sometimes a troublemaker with the cockiest grin which seemed to make
her impish attitude stand out even more. Even though she thought that telling
people was as unimportant as knowing the names of the Kardashians, she was also
born with cerebral palsy. She was in a wheelchair and her speech was slightly
garbled but she lived a regular life and never became a poster child for the
pity party. She was actually more of an advocate for the rebellious and the
smart ass.
One brisk, fall evening, she went to a Halloween carnival
with her sixteen-year-old brother Warren. Fun, creepy music and the sound of
children laughing and squealing surrounded them with the smell of buttery
popcorn and sweet cotton candy in the air.
She and Warren were waiting in line to go on a roller-coaster. When they
first arrived at the line, the ride was already going and they were only
letting six people at a time go. Fay saw a lot of spooky things at that
carnival but none were as beastly as the boy that was standing in front of
them. The boy was much younger, around ten or eleven and he was staring a hole
through her. Of course, the boy’s parents were nowhere to be found.
Fay said to the boy sarcastically, “You never saw a person
in a wheelchair before, right? It’s okay, just remember to blink though or your
eyes will burn.”
Warren chuckled in his throat. She didn’t think that the
rude boy understood her but he did and began to pick on her.
“You talk weird,” said the boy wickedly, “Um, this ride is
for normal people…only and you ain’t normal.”
“You think so,” exclaimed Fay with fake excitement,
“Really?” Thanks!”
“Man, I bet that it ain’t no fun having a wheelchair girl
for a sister,” said the boy to Warren, acting like she wasn’t there, “Sorry
that she is like that.”
“Whatever kid,” said Warren dryly, glaring at him.
“Sorry?” Fay laughed, “Why are you sorry? Did you create
cerebral palsy?”
Still ignoring her, the boy said, “I bet that she can’t do
nothing on her own.”
“Shut up kid before I---!” began Warren, becoming furious,
his big fists turning white. Fay stopped him with an assuring smile.
“It’s true,” she replied sardonically, “I can’t walk, I’m
just one of the fastest in any wheelchair race. My handwriting is crummy, I can
just type ninety words per minute on the computer. I can’t talk clearly, I’m
just unafraid to speak my mind. You’re sooo right. I can’t do anything at
all.”
The boy looked puzzled. She and Warren just laughed. Then,
the roller-coaster was beginning to stop and the boy gave her an evil smile. He
said mockingly to her, “Uh oh, there’s five people ahead of you and only six is
allowed. Looks like your brother will have to leave his wheelchair sister
behind.”
She just grinned. The
ticket taker then walked by. The boy tried to give his ticket and walked on but
Fay held up a blue pass and the ticket taker stopped him, letting her and
Warren go in front.
“Hey,” he exclaimed, “I was here first!”
“I’m sorry,” said the ticket taker, “She has a disability
pass and he needs to accompany her. You have to wait. We only so much room and
I heard how you were treating this nice, young lady.”’
“But that ain’t fair,” he yelled.
“If only you were abnormal like me…,” she smiled, as Warren
picked her up from her chair and helped her into the ride.
“You are only gettin’ special treatment cause you’re in a
wheelchair,” he bellowed.
“Well, it pays to be the wheelchair girl,” she said
cheekily, winking as the roller-coaster rolled away and leaving the little boy
behind.
(c)Lena Holdman, all rights reserved 2013
This is a funny satire, poking fun at all of the bullies throughout my life and at myself. It was fun to write.
