What's this all about?

The saying goes “If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything,” but what does this really mean? In my Young Adult novel, EVERYBODY’S FOOL (check out the link on this page's right panel), that is the critical question for the main character, but I didn’t understand until I remembered what growing up was like for me.

I was what you would call a wanna-be in high school. I wanted to be popular. I wanted to go to the popular parties and have the best best friends, but I had no clue how to do that. I was essentially a loner watching the world go by and waiting for the best moment to jump on board.

I knew the things I liked until someone came up with something better. Music? Styx was good, so was Journey and Poison, then I heard Bruce Springsteen’s Born in the USA album. Now what? I settled the radio dial on the Top 40 station because that’s what everyone else was doing. That’s what the rest of my life was like. I didn’t want to risk rejection, so I just liked what everyone else liked.

That’s a dangerous thing to stand for. I felt myself slipping in a lot of ways.

The thing is, my mom had this saying she would repeat to me and my sister when we were growing up: “You’re not getting married until you get your PhD.” It was a joke that we tossed around when we needed a laugh. Mom dropped out of high school and got her GED to marry my father not because she was pregnant (she wasn't) but because she was in love and wanted to get on with her life. We knew she had no leg to stand on with her rule, but it stuck. It was what kept me grounded. I needed to focus on my future before I let other things take over.

That’s what this blog is all about. I’ll be looking at issues on the minds of America’s youth. I’ll also be looking at young people who have taken a stand for what they believe in, because that’s one of the hardest things to do when you’re still trying to fit in.

I’m not a psychologist or any kind of expert. I’m a writer and an observer.  About me and that Popularity Train? I tried to jump on board a couple of times. I had a few laughs and a few good memories, but I kept jumping off when the crowd would change the train’s direction.

And that PhD? Yeah, not really me, but I never veered too far from my lifeplan. The thing is, I was never willing to put myself out there and stand for something that might not be acceptable to my peers. That’s why I’m in awe of people who stand tall and proud.

I think the future of our nation is fine, and I plan to find the stories that will showcase how you are my heroes.