Jessica+A’s+Final+AmEx+2013+Speech

=Title of Speech=

//**Where did all the happy people go?**//
=Text of Speech=

===**I want to see a generation of genuinely happy teenagers. I want to see less broken families. I want to see kids that have passion. I want to see a happier group of mature people, despite inevitable difficulties that we will face. **===

===**No doubt about it, it is hard being a teenager. We feel constant need to make ourselves fit in with the norm. We try to live up to our parents’ expectations, on top of our own. We stress ourselves out A LOT. I don’t know how many times I hear from my friends “Ughhhhhh I’m never getting into college!” or “well, I might as well drop out now and be a stripper” or the infamous “I failed that test I am SO stupid why can’t I be Casey Collet or Ami Ballmer or the Marshall sisters and be a genius.” When in reality, they are all brilliant humans. All of you! We’ve all been through a difficult year and gotten closer as a class. **===

===**To my surprise, some friends came to me, tears filling their blood shot, swollen eyes. Earlier in the year friend told me she was depressed, going through a really rough time with her mom and found out her dad is once again struggling with alcohol; her parents were on the verge of divorce. Ultimately, her mom kicked her out. It broke my heart to hear see her so vulnerable and just the shaking of her voice brought me to tears. I had the fear that her depression would lead her into the wrong path. I did all I could for her (I provided a place to stay, my parents played the role of replacement parents for the night) and after proposing that a few changes could be made to build a constructive relationship with her mom, she took that and until now is continuing keeping an open relationship with her mom. **===

===**Something a little similar happened to me. It was around the time of our first AP test and it was World War 3 in my house. Anyone who knows me, they have probably heard me complain about my sister Haidi. We are complete opposites (besides the fact that we are both extremely thick headed and super stubborn). Haidi and I are 12 years apart (her being 29), and my parents are 56 and 65. So naturally, after their 5th kid my parents are like “hell no, we rose 4 teenagers already who are already in their 20’s we can barely do another. So your brother and sisters are going to help us raise you” They didn’t really say that, yet they did play a large role in raising me. However I would be exhausted after my 5th kid too! (to Mr. Geib, my parents advice you that 5 kids are wonderful after their 18!) I didn’t mind having my older siblings raise me into the individual I am today. I really liked it, in fact. I see part of them in myself. They are all really wonderful individuals. But Haidi, was always the more conservative one out of the bunch. Since sixth grade it was always “Jessica! Do not wear that!” “Jessica do not do that!” and so on. I complained to my parents constantly. Our communication was terrible, there was a generation AND language barrier between my mom and I. My mom’s English was really broken and it was extremely difficult for us to understand each other. I was in a rebellious stage to a point that I wouldn’t speak a wince of Arabic and when I did it would be with a dramatic attitude. Haidi would interfere and as soon as I would tell Haidi to leave me alone, my parents would ALWAYS say “she’s your elder and you must respect her.” Those words drilled into my head. Okay Elsayed and Attiyat, we’ll see how long I can deal with Haidi being my second mother. It didn’t last long. I just wanted my sister to act as my sister and my parents to actually be my parents. After countless arguments, I was so tired of it. I shut down and became a hermit crab. I did anything I could to be anywhere but my own house. To catch a break I stayed in Santa Barbara with my sister with her family. I came back, felt rejuvenated and revived and a small argument sucked all the happiness away from me. From then, I started praying a lot. God was my main motivator. When I felt like there wasn’t a light at the end of the tunnel, praying was my hope. I put on my façade of happiness at school. Home is supposed to be a peaceful sanctuary, it wasn’t for me. Although I was quiet about it I was in self destruction mode. My family is my driving force and the week that I didn’t talk to them was agonizing. While I was giving my parents and sister the silent treatment, I started reading a lot more. In particular, adorable Nicholas Sparks’s books that I would gush over compensated for my anguish against my family. I found refuge in my friends, found God along the way, and really learned about myself through the process. I knew I had to change myself. **=== ===**I came across an article, stating “15 Things You Should Give Up To Be Happy” **===

===** Okay, well. This seems like a lot to give up. While reading this I knew that it would be like pulling out wisdom teeth trying to propose this new idea to my parents. I built up the energy and optimism that I had left and decided that I needed to talk to them. To my amazement they actually understood. They told me that I needed to be more vocal and actually sit them down rather than complain. This was my light at the end of the tunnel. It was a rebirth of communication that actually worked. **===

===** I never want to see one of my friends come to me with the news that their parents are getting a divorce. I never want to get into another argument with Haidi because she’s really, really good at arguing. I never want to experience so much negativity that surrounded me. In the America I grow up in, I want to see better family relationships. I want to see friends have as much trust in each other to be able to rely on one another when they feel hopeless. I want to see a happier generation. So, I will end this with my favorite quote that surprisingly got me through the year **//“The mind is a superb instrument if used rightly. Used wrongly, however, it becomes very destructive.”// //Eckhart Tolle//===

=Cite Your Sources= "15 Things You Should Give Up To Be Happy." //World Observer Online RSS//. N.p., 30 May 2013. Web. 30 May 2013.