“bul-ly noun, plural bul•lies, verb, bul•lied, bul•ly•ing, adjective, interjection”

Definition
“A blustering, quarrelsome, overbearing person who habitually badgers and intimidates, smaller or weaker people.”

Bullying is one of the biggest issues our country is dealing with. Kids, teens, and even adults are bullying people to the boiling point. They tease them for being different, for not being a size 2, for having glasses, for disabled, and sometimes, for no reason at all. Some of the people being bullied are pushed over the breaking point and end up taking their own life to escape the hell of reality. For some people, they are bullied even after they have left us. For these people, suicide was not the cause of death. Bullying was.

Most people tell their kids that the bully “is jealous of you.” In some cases, yes. In mine
and many more, no. They bully people to make them feel terrible about themselves; to get rid of them, to make them move away, be homeschooled, be transferred, or die. The words they use stay with you forever. They are a scar on your soul. You are forever changed. They sometimes push around someone who won’t fight back, so when the victim does, the bully can report the victim for abuse.

Organizations around the US and the world are trying to pass laws making bullying a hate crime. For some people, it’s too late. Their memory will live on and empower us with the will to fight back against the bullies. For now, we will fight in our schools, our playgrounds, our homes, and everywhere else. Bullying will end; one way or another

1) A healthy family. Even though over the past year we’ve had our scares, our ups and our downs and our rough patches, but everyone now in my family has come out on top. We now have my almost two month old niece Abbey who is happy, healthy and so cute! We are so blessed to have her, to still have all of my grandparents and just have my family in general.

2) My chance to be on Oprah. It was one of the most amazing nights of my life and I’m so thankful that I was blessed to have that experience. I’ve made so many friends from it and I now have memories that I will never lose.

3) my best friend Jessica. Even though she moved to Vermont last year, our friendship is stronger than ever. We have our fights of course, but we always make up in the end. We know each other better than anyone else on earth and our friendship is something that I will cherish forever.

4) My love of art and writing music. Last year, my idea of art was cartoons. Now, it’s museums, artwork I make, music, scultpures, etc. I have changed so much. My artwork has changed dramatically and I discovered a talent and a love for writing music I never knew was there. I am very, very thankful for that.

5) Lady Gaga. She gave me new friends, amazing music and she has helped me in so many ways. She is someone who, like my family and friends, will always be there for me, one way or another.

6) My new bedroom. I used to eat, sleep and live in a very tiny bedroom. It used to be just right, but I out grew it fast. So thankfully, my parents let me move into our basement, which is now covered in posters, artwork, colors and much more. I am so thankful that I now have the perfect space to write, create art and be myself in.

7) Food, shelter, clothing, etc. That’s a given.

My family’s ability to be able to travel all over the country. We meet new people, see new things and we have a lot of laughs along the way, LITERALLY!

9) Being homeschooled. Whenever someone asks me what I’m thankful for, I always say being homeschooled. I’ve seen new places, made amazing friendships and discovered a lot for things that I wouldn’t have known. The phrase “Everything happens for a reason” is beyond true to me.

10) Happy, safe and loving friends. My friends are so amazing to me and they are people I can laugh, cry, dance and much more with. That means a lot to me to be able to have them.

and last but not least…11) EVERYTHING. The things above are the things I am MOST thankful for, but I am really thankful for everything that life has given me. Not just in the last year, but since I was born.

“Saturday Night Live”, also known as SNL, started it’s 37th season a few weeks ago. For fun, here’s a list of 15 people I would like to see hit the stage and host and/or perform this season!

1) Barack Obama. He’s proved to be very funny many times and seeing him on SNL would be a dream!  I think he would do a very awesome job.

2) Meryl Streep. It’s amazing to me that after 37 season, she has NEVER hosted! So, I believe it’s time to change that!

3) Betty White. (again). Do I have to explain why?! Just watch anything she’s been in! The woman is amazing. Enough said.

4) Sandra Bullock. Once again. 37 seasons and she has not been on once. This amazing actress has proved her ability to do amazing comedy one day, then do serious drama the next. She (in my opinion) would be a perfect host.

5) Zooey Deschanel. Just watch “New Girl” on NBC and you’ll know why.

6) Debbie Reynolds. She once appeared in a skit in 1995, but has never hosted! I think she would be so great! I mean, who doesn’t love her?!

7) Ty Burrell. You may know him as “Phil” on “Modern Family” and if you don’t, well then now you do! He is one of the funniest men alive. He would do an amazing job! Considering he is now an Emmy Award winner, I just might get my wish <3

8.) Chris Rock. He spend 3 years on the cast of the show, but I still would love to see him host. He is THE funniest man alive and, like always, would do an amazing job.

9) Alyssa Milano. Amazingly talented woman who I think would do a great job hosting! Who agrees with me?

10)  Sofia Vergara. Also on “Modern Family”, this super hilarious (and amazingly beautiful!) woman would kick butt.

 11) Dana Delany.  The woman is awesome and would do amazing as a host for the show!

12) Beyonce. To both host and perform. Her newest album is out and she could sing songs from it! Also, if you are thinking “well she’s not funny!”, you need to watch Austin Powers in Goldmember and then get back to me.

13) Will Arnett. “Up All Night” on NBC. Watch it and you’ll know why.

14) Chris Colfer. He plays Kurt on “Glee!” He would do great! He is funny, talented and would make an excellent host.

15) Lady Gaga. If you watched her on last season’s finale of SNL, then you know she is funny! With her quick wit and talent to write, sing, dance and act; she is the perfect host/performer.

*This post is about suicide and kids/teens who think that there is no way out. This may not appeal to you, but if you know somebody who is depressed and thinks nobody cares, please send this to them. Pass the love on and let them know: they are not alone.

Dear Reader,

Let me start off by saying, you are not worthless. You are not horrible, stupid, selfish or better off dead. You are not any of those things you may call youself. You are perfect in your own way. You are special, amazing and beautiful (both inside and out) to me. I may not know your name, but I know you’re amazing. I may not know what you look like, but I know you’re beautiful. I may not know why you are so sad and depressed, but I know it gets better. I promise you.

It may seem that there’s no light at the end of the tunnel, but I swear to you, there is a light. You may think that nobody cares or loves you, but I’m gonna correct you right now… I love you and I care about you. You may also think nobody would miss you if you left, but I would. My heart goes out to every teen I hear is suicidal or, worse, committed suicide. I believe that everybody is here for a reason and everybody leaves this earth for a reason. But I don’t believe that anybody, not just teens, is destined to die by killing themselves. I don’t believe it for a minute.

You may be alone physically, but you should know, you are not alone. As Lady Gaga says, “when you’re alone, I’m alone.” I say the same. When you’re upset, I’m upset. When you cry, I cry. When you smile, I smile. I need you to smile. I need you to believe me when I say that it does get better and that you are not alone. 

As I end my letter to you, I’d like to finish with I love you and that someone does care about you. That someone is me.

Love,

Sydney 

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Lemme ask you something reader… what do you think of when you hear the word Monster? Do you think of vampires and Frankenstein? Or do you think of Halloween? For me, when I hear the word Monster, I think of my Monster Family. No, not my biological family; my family on Twitter. Yes, TWITTER.

Lemme tell you how it started. Picture it, Chicago suburbs 2007-2008. I was bullied very badly for 2 years. I was threatened, called terrible names and much more. The school did nothing to help me. That’s when my battle with friendship, acceptance and loving who I am began. After leaving school, I became homeschooled, which I love so much. I’m thriving in school, but I was and still am having problems making friends. I tried going to a lot of homeschooling groups and classes, but they had the same outcome; I was the outcast who was different. Most of those kids have known each other for many years and they all like the same things and I’m not like them. Even when I make a friend and give them my card (yes I have a business card!) with my info, nine out of ten times, they don’t call and I never see them again.

Then, my one amazing best friend Jessica (whom I’ve written about before) moved to Vermont. I was officially friendless after that. I didn’t have anybody to hang out with or to have a sleepover with or anything. Then, beginning in March, I started getting these things called waves. Waves are where I’ll be happy one minute, then crying and sad the next. I started seeing a therapist (or life coach as me and my mom call her) and I’ve slowly been getting better. The Oprah-Babies  helped A LOT with the sadness, but only a little bit. I made new friends, who I still talk to.

Even with everything that I had going on, I still was sad and felt like I was missed that ONE piece of the puzzle. That piece came on June 22nd.

For those of you who don’t know, June 22nd is my birthday and this year I turned 13. I joined Twitter that day and thought “Oh, nobody will follow me, I won’t make any friends, I won’t use this a lot!” Well, now it”s August and 6,454 tweets, 630  followers and hundreds of amazing friends, or should I say, FAMILY later, I have so much love and support from my monsters that it scares me! I talk to them everyday and they always say how much they care and love me and how monsters stick together.

  Today marks the 114th birthday of aviator and heroine Amelia Earhart.

She was an amazing pilot who set many flying records and was the first to attempt daring feats. She was the first female pilot to fly across the Atlantic ocean, fly across the Atlantic solo and first person to fly from Hawaii to Califorinia and etc.

Amelia was born on July 24th, 1897 in Atchison Kansas. I’ve been lucky enough to visit this wonderful place 3 times in the past year. The most recent  time being  last week for the AE festival. I am the youngest volunteer they’ve ever had at the AE house and had a blast doing so. I met so many people and made so many new friends that I would have never met if it wasn’t for Amelia!!

No matter how far I go in my writing and music career, I will always have a spot for Amelia in my heart and in my life. Happy Birthday A. I love you <3

1) My First 5 Husbands by Rue McClanahan. She’s one of my heroes and this book opened my eyes of what an amazing, strong and wonderful person she was. It’s an amazing book! (and it’s hilarious too!!!) It shows just how much you can do anything if you can dream it and you want it!

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2) Amelia Earhart Bio (DK series). This book is the one who introduced me to the amazing person who is Amelia Earhart. I was the first book I’d ever read about a woman who changed history, made a name for herself and was her own person! A lot of what I learned in that book has shined into my life.

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3) Nancy Drew Notebooks series. When I was a kid, I LOVED this series!! It showcases Nancy Drew as a young girl, solving mysteries with Bess, George and Ned!! I remember staying up at night with my little flashlight from Home Depot, reading under the covers trying to finish the book!! It opened my eyes to what you could do as a kid!

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4) The Diary of Anne Frank. This book changed me. I swear, there were parts of that book that sounded like MY diary! It was amazing what she went through. I don’t cry very often, but this book choked me up. I will always remember her.

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5) Between a Heart and a Rock Place by Pat Benatar. She is one of my heroes (like all of the women in this list) and this book (again) opened my eyes to what prejudice against women musicians in the 80′s. It was shocking. You would have never known what crap she went through.

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Ok, here’s the trick. Scroll up and look at these books again and I want you to find the common ground. It’s ok, I’ll wait. Ok you’re back, did you find it?! If  not, I’ll tell you.

All of these books have been written by or about women who were strong, confident and amazing and who have all made history ALL in different ways. Each of these women will have a special place in my heart until the day I die.

Rose Nylund: [walks up to Blanche holding newspaper] Blanche, it’s YOU!

Blanche Deveraux: Oh, you’re gettin’ so good at that, Rose. [points at Dorothy Zbornak] Now who’s that over there?

 I am sitting in my room, looking at the sun outside, while watching my all-time favorite show: “The Golden Girls.” It was seven hilarious seasons of cheesecake, one-liners and good/bad 80s fashion!

From Left to Right-Estelle, Rue, Betty, Bea.

The show revolves around the lives of 4 older women, all single, who share a home in Miami as roommates. Dorothy Zbornak (Bea Arthur), a substitute teacher, now divorced,while sharing a house with Midwestern born Rose Nylund (Betty White) and renting from southern belle Blanche Deveraux (Rue McClanahan), must start caring for her 80 year old mother, Sophia (Estelle Getty), after the nursing home she was living in burned down.

All four of these ladies were so different, that you could not have put 4 more perfect women togather. Their diffrences was what made them so fun to watch and to see how they acted together was amazing and could not have been better. That’s why I think their spin off The-Golden-Palace (only starring Betty, Estelle and Rue) wasn’t as successful. It’s like baking a cake; take one ingredient out and it just doesn’t work.

This show has changed my life in so many ways. It’s introduced me to my hero Rue McClanahan, given me advice and has given me one of my best friends, Maria. I wouldn’t have known her if it wasn’t for Rue and this show!!!

I love this show and I tip my hat to all the people who wrote it, starred in it and produced it. Thank YOU for a being a friend.

I’d love to go back in time to the 80s but until I can get the DeLorean up to 88 miles per hour, it’s just a dream

“Cheers to a New Year and another chance for us to get it right”- Oprah

Hi people! This is my list of things I want to happen this year and if they have the world CHECK!! next to it, it’s done!!! hahaha
 

1) Fly to Vermont

2) Meet 5 Celebs-CHECK!!!

3) Solve a real mystery

4) Finish writing my books

5) Win a major contest

6) Learn to dance-CHECK!!

7) Be on Oprah-CHECK!

Meet President and Michelle Obama

9) Have a better relationship with Artie (my sister)-CHECK!

10) Dream big

Thanks for reading!! Hope you all had a nice holiday and a great 2011!

 Signed, Syd