Penny For Your Thoughts

 I think that the phrase "right person, wrong time" is bullshit. I wish I could tell my 14-year-old self that it's bullshit. I want her to know why it's bullshit. She wouldn't believe me, though. I wish she knew. The right person comes at the right time in the right way. If they don't come at the right time, it's the wrong person and the wrong time.  The right person will love you deeply, little girl. He won't make you cry. He will not tell you only the things you want to hear. He will be for you because you are, not because of who you could be. He won't leave you alone. He won't disappear without explanation. He'll give you good hugs and real kisses, not just the wish to do such things. He will know you like his own mind. He will be good to you. He will love you in a real and authentic way. You'll know when it's the right person. I promise. If only I could have told her. If only she would have believed it. -Emma Lancaster

 They always tell you in Driver's Ed "Don't be a statistic." Am I not already a statistic? You were born in a certain year on a certain day at a certain time and you are a certain race with a certain name and a certain weight and a certain eye color. You will die of something in some year at some age with some amount of family left behind and some amount of money left behind. You will be buried with a headstone that has the number of years on it and you will be buried with X amount of other people in the same cemetery and your family will visit however many times a year until you truly just become a number and are forgotten a couple generations later. You are a statistic from the moment you're conceived until eternity.  So yes, while you should try to avoid being part of a driving death count, you're a statistic no matter what. It is quite an idiotic phrase and I wish they would stop using it. There's always a person behind the numbers. There's always

 Being a bottle isn't good. We know this. So why do we do it? Sometimes we don't have a choice. We were raised to be bottles. It's selfish to NOT be a bottle. Don't open the bottle, the things inside of it will be bad. You shouldn't talk about what is inside the bottle because everyone has their own bottle contents. Your bottle contents aren't as bad as some other bottle contents that your friends might have. Why can't I be contents? I want to be the contents. I think that would be more relieving than being the bottle. I don't like being the bottle, it just happens without explanation. I was surrounded by words that were pushing me toward being a bottle and I knew that I didn't like those words, but when you're a kid, you have to listen to all those words. You don't get to pick the words that you want to hear. So I am a bottle. I feel selfish for being the contents of the bottle, even if only for a second.  Feeling something is nice. Don'

 I have a friend who has always believed that it only takes two seconds of courage to do something.  I think that's right. There is no grand entrance or announcement every time you decide you want pancakes for breakfast. It's just a simple decision. You can do that in two seconds. But what about big things? I think that two seconds of courage applies to big things, but it also takes some faith. A leap of faith, one might say. I know that's a lot to ask of yourself. Making decisions is quite difficult. I'm not very good at them myself. I know you can do it, though.  You're the one making this call. Go for it, and I'll be here to hold your hand as you go. What an exciting time it is to be you! I'm so proud. -Emma Lancaster

 I've always found the saying "Penny For Your Thoughts" weird. Why would I pay for someone else's opinion when I could get a million other opinions for free?  I think opinions are perfectly fine. I have nothing against opinions. You won't ever have to pay for mine. They'll just be here. They won't cost a single penny. This could really be fun, I come up with some random stuff.  You're welcome.  -Emma Lancaster