Why do kids run away?

Why do kids runaway?  I google'd this, and the first website I looked at, the first reason it stated was that kids run away because of alcohol and drug abuse.  I find this to be some silly propaganda from a hidden agenda website.  http://www.empoweringparents.com/Runaway-Teens-Why-They-Do-It-and-How-to-Stop-Them.php#  When I was growing up, I ran away several times.  I even remember literally running away from my house at the age of 3 or 4 to avoid going to church.  I just ran down the street to a friend's house and my parents found me within minutes.  I think her mom called up my parents right away if I remember correctly.  In my early teens, (14-15) I ran away several times.  Usually for a day or two at a time.  I often would sneak out my window at night, not intending to come home for days, but after trying to sleep in someone's yard a few miles away under a tree hidden away, and getting bit by mosquitos and rained on, I would come back home within hours and no one would even notice I was gone.  The longest was probably was only 2 or 3 days.  I was a mallrat, and I took the bus to my mallrat friend's house and I recall the next day I was at MOA again, and I felt like my dad was around, and when I looked to the left, there he was.  It was odd, this exact incident happened a few times, where I felt my dad's presence and then I would see him a few seconds later.  But I don't think much more of it, but odd intuition.  That particular day, I had a good idea that my parents were concerned about me and looking for me, so maybe not so odd that day.   ANYWAYS, the reason I would run away I would simply chalk it up to TEENAGE ANGST.  I had quite a bit of it growing up.  I would get mad and run away just because I was angry.  Sometimes I just wanted to see my friends, I used to sneak out my window and hang out with my best friend at the time who lived on the other side of Apple Valley, whose mom worked nights so it was a hangout spot for kids in the middle night.  So I would sneak out and walk through Alimagnet Park, which is all woods.  (In retrospect, I have now developed a fear of walking through the woods in the middle of the night, maybe I always had it, but ignored it because the fear of getting caught by cops for curfew walking down sidewalks was bigger.)  I would not consider that running away because my intention was to get home before sunrise.  Of course this made for a lot of sleeping in school the next day.

Why you selected your major

I came back to school in the summer of 2007 at Normandale Community College.  At this point I had little idea about what I wanted to pursue as a major.  Previous ideas I had but decided to shoot down were a massage therapist and a nursing assistant.  Just this last spring of 2010 I had taken a Career Exploration class.  I took a couple of extensive tests and I recall getting Speech Pathologist and Optomitrist as a couple best matches based on my interests and people in those occupations interests having a high match.  Something that I always wanted to do but decided against was working with computers because everyone has told me that I should work with people, plus I hate when things are frustrating.  At the end of the spring semester I signed up to enroll in a dental assistant program, but after a bit of consideration, decided that I really didn't want to work in people's mouths.  I then recondsidered the idea of getting into an IT program, I realized I can do what I want if I got a career in this.  I can help people, and I would still work with and amongst people, so I happily decided to go for a Associates Degree in Computer Support and Network Administrating.  But I really would like to go for a Bachelors Degree in IT at the U of M.  I am not sure if I can ever afford that, but I feel like in this industry I need to get a higher education than others in order to be successful in my pursuit of a job in this field.

political cartoon #2

political cartoon #1

This cartoon depicts how this generation of kids coming up are so computer inclined that they are not familiar with a textbook.  Kinda funny.  I realized that growing up from kindergarten up to high school, mom dropping me off at the library to do some research was quickly becoming a thing of the past.  When was the last time I used an actual book as a reference for a paper?  I recently made a trip to the library for the sole purpose of borrowing a fictional book that I had no intention of paying the $15 for at the book store.  Alot of the reference materials such as encyclopedias probably could use a good dusting now and then I would imagine.  I don't know I haven't traveled to that side of the library for a long time!

The saddest thing about this is the quick dying of the public library.  I am afraid they may become extinct.  And kids may not appreciate sitting down and reading a book as much anymore!  An old classic with yellowed pages...  exchanged for an Amazon Kindle or a Sony Reader.  They just don't have that same old smell.

Social Responsibility blog pt. 2

In reflection of "Gender Roles and Marriage: A Fact Sheet" put out by the Nat'l Healthy Marriage Resource Center.
I think traditional gender roles manifest from our biological make-up.  If I recall correctly from Psychology, women have a genetic make-up predisposing them to have nurturing tendencies.  However, our society is evolving and we are now adapting to a changing civilization.  I highly support both the traditional an d more contemporary gender roles, however each person deems themselves fit.  It is important to continue on the path to women having the same rights as men though. We are all people!
I find it odd that the major reason women gave for divorce in Texas was "unrealistic expectations".  Who even says that?  Sounds like they were given a crappy multiple choice or something.
How sad that "husbands have become less happy" to pick up an increasing amount of housework.  I think it is really disappointing that one gender has gotten stuck with the majority thus far...

"Our Social Responsibility" blog part 1

This blog is in reflection to the essay, "Gender Roles within American Marriage: Are They Really Changing?" written by Lucy A. Hawke .
According to Hawke's essay, the status quo of the way marriage roles worked throughout the early to mid 20th century was because of the way it was in the pioneers days.
Embracing change seems to be so difficult for people.  I have been told resisting change is human nature. I see coworkers fight change, often times it seems to me just for the sake of resisting change.  It was mentioned that even at an Anti-Slavery Convention, women delegates weren't allowed to speak!  So the people who recognized the ridiculousness of slavery still allowed for these sexist acts to occur!  That is messed up.