Rick'n Reality

In a year when everything has pretty much gone off the rails, I think we need Thanksgiving now more than ever before. I understand that this year has brought a lot of disappointment, but we should take this day to reflect on what we still have and be grateful for it. If anything, quarantine made me look inwards and come to appreciate the things I took for granted, such as orchestra, playing bass, school, and especially being able to see and talk to people in-person. In fact, it was by losing those things that I became truly grateful for everything I didn’t care about as much as I should. To everyone who is not really feeling the gratitude today, I encourage you to get a piece of paper and pen, sit yourself down, turn off those negative thoughts, and instead, turn on the light to see both the big and small things in life that has brought you joy or made you realize how much worse life would be without it. Perhaps you’ll feel more inclined to do this after looking at my list for the thin...

          I’m finding myself inheriting what feels like an entirely new state of mind. As the world around us continues to grow and evolve, our lives become more and more complicated. Different layers keep getting added, creating this huge, entangled web that in itself represents the very fabric of our reality. Something I discovered not too long ago was that it’s not possible for things to always turn out precisely how we picture them in our head. The funny thing is, life keeps giving me this message again and again.  In one of my recent posts, I shared that I spent a crushing four hours trying to record two scales for my audition. Not only did this end up doing more bad than good, but it struck me that I can’t keep living like this. Trying to make everything absolutely one hundred percent perfect and exactly how I picture it in my head. It was from that experience that I began to make an effort to not become consumed by my desire to do everythi...

     We’ve officially made it through the first quarter of the school year. It’s been quite a ride, to say the least. When trying to look back at where we started to where we are now, it all feels like a blur. Adjusting to online school was a hundred times more difficult than I expected. In fact, even now I still don’t feel completely settled. However, by trying new things, I have developed certain routines and habits that help me stay grounded and make me feel better about the overall experience. The biggest problem with online school is that we’re not together, and because of that, it doesn’t promote social activity and building connections. On the platform that my school uses, you can only see one screen- which is obviously the teachers’- and it is that isolating environment that worsens the experience and makes it less enjoyable for everyone; both teachers and students. Online school doesn’t have to be this way, we can make it better if we bring about some changes to ...