For Sisters By Sisters » Amy W.

Buying Brands

Amy W. — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 16:20:31 +0000

As little as a decade or so ago, there were maybe a couple of well-known brands, department stores and independent shops. Yeah, well, those days are over! Today there are more designers, clothing chains and independent retailers than you can imagine! They take over magazine covers, newspapers and billboards everywhere you go. Stores

spend billions of dollars each year trying to get their name out there, trying to become the latest and greatest, with the hottest styles and trends.

It all leads to a temptation to own the newest things, especially if they come with an

obscenely large label somewhere on the item. We are all guilty of liking a collared shirt just because of that little green alligator on the front, or a zip-up hoodie because the zipper is a J. But this is exactly what these companies want, for people to pay $80 or more for a collared shirt, when you could get the exact same one, label-free, for a fraction of the cost. In all these cases, you are basically buying the brand, and not so much the item itself.

Do we buy the brand or the product?

A lot of people view their wardrobe and tangibles as a way to display their economic wealth to the rest of the world. They want to show off the fact that they can afford a $500 pair of shoes or a $2,000 handbag while others need every penny just to pay their bills on time. We have all become so consumed with name brands and designer labels that we will sometimes turn our heads if these little indications are not present on the items we are looking at.

What made us become this way? Well, it could be the media, the need to keep up with our icons (aka celebrities) or just the changing of times. We might never really know what prompted all this, but one thing is for sure, I think: The problem is here to stay. So the next time something stops you dead in your tracks, think about this: Do you really like the thing, or do you really like the label?

Women Waiting on the World to Change

Amy W. — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 13:37:52 +0000

Photo taken from http://www.flickr.com/photos/modestchanges/3214701196/ by michal_hadassah

In recent times, there has been a lot of emphasis in our country and throughout the world about equality among all citizens. This usually refers to equality among people of different races, religions and economic backgrounds.

But one area that seems to be forgotten a lot is equality among genders. I think people do not pay as much attention to this one because they might think there is nothing to improve, but boy are they ignorant! Even in our modern and advanced world, there are still so many things that are not equal between men and women—salaries, for instance. There have been so many debates and arguments about this issue, but to this day, men and women do not get equal pay, even if they have the exact same job and are equally qualified. Please give me one reason how this is fair?! We work just as hard and produce work of the same quality but do not get rewarded equally? That just blows my mind!

Another place where I believe men and women are still not equal is in government and politics. So many people still have a problem with a woman in power, holding a position such as president of the United States. Why is it such a big deal? What have we done wrong or different to be considered not as qualified for these positions? Absolutely nothing! That is the problem. People do not have a good answer or reason as to why they do not put women on the same level as men.

There are other jobs in the workforce that might cause people to take a second look, surprised that a woman holds the position. For example, people might think it is “weird” or “not normal” if a woman is a construction worker or someone is a garbagewoman. Yes, it might not be as common, but there is no reason why it should not be accepted! We have the right to choose whatever career we desire, just as men do. The bottom line is this: There is no good reason, and never will be, for women to be on a different level than men. I will never know when this will change, but at the rate our society is going right now, it could be this way for an unnecessarily long time.

Signature Styles

Amy W. — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 14:15:30 +0000

Everyone has her own style, be it preppy, punk, classy, trendy, gothic, sporty or just plain casual. I believe your style can truly say a lot about your personality and what kind of person you are. Your style can express what kind of mood you are in, what some of your interests are or what your profession is. Your style can maybe even tell where you are from or what religion you are. Being so into fashion, I believe that your style is a key ingredient in portraying to others the type of person you are.

I am not trying to say that your style completely defines who you are; I just believe it can play a big role. The way you present yourself to those around you could mean the difference between landing that competitive internship you have always wanted or not, or it could lead to being in a crowd and having someone think, Wow, that person really cleans up nicely.

By seeing what someone wears before even talking to him or her for the first time, you might be able to know more about that person than you think. Some obvious examples: If someone is wearing a soccer jersey, shorts and a pair of cleats, you know there is a 99.9 percent chance that she plays soccer, and you two might have something in common! Or if you see someone wearing a top from your favorite store, you might have some common interests in trends and styles.

I think people are missing out on one of the most creative parts of being human if they don’t put dedication and thought into what they wear. They are not expressing the full “them” to their advantage, and the people around them are missing that little bit of pre-knowledge about them, maybe before they have any communication at all. You never know when you could meet your next best friend just by seeing her wear a T-shirt from your favorite band or clothing store!

Worlds Away in the USA

Amy W. — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 23:12:42 +0000

While I was in Washington, D.C., for a summer program at Georgetown University , I had the opportunity to meet other high school kids from all over the country and the world! There were kids from everywhere from California to Kansas to South Korea! People drove, took a train or had some very long plane rides. Coming from Pittsburgh, Pa., I probably had one of the shortest commutes.

I was very nervous about meeting people and finding a group of friends to hang out with during the week. The first person I met was my roommate, who is from a very small town in Kansas. I was very excited, because I have never met someone from Kansas before! We became friendly pretty quickly, and I knew she could only make the week that much easier. As we started to talk over our first dinner, I could tell instantly that it felt as if, in some respects, we were coming from two different worlds. She lived in the country, outside a town of about 6,000 people, and I was coming from the suburbs of Pittsburgh, which has about 350,000 in the city. Just the way we were describing our schools and towns was very different. I could not believe some of the “small town” things she was telling me about where she lives, and I’m sure she felt the same way toward me! For example, there were only two restaurants and one department store in her town besides the Super Walmart.

Throughout the week, we learned a lot about each other and really enjoyed each other’s company. I started to realize that even though we came from very different towns and backgrounds, we still shared many common interests about different issues, friends and what we liked to do for fun. This friendship really reminded me that even though at first you might think you have nothing in common with someone, it takes really getting to know him or her to see if that is true or not. It is almost like the saying “Don’t judge a book by its cover.”

So at the end of the week, we had mixed feelings about the program but were sad to be leaving each other. This taught me to always be open-minded about meeting new people, because you never know what wonderful people you will come across.

Beautiful Me Vs. Beautiful Media

Amy W. — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 14:12:45 +0000

Any magazine you flip through, television commercial you watch or website you see with people modeling clothes gives the same message: perfection. Who can resist that long, luscious, healthy hair, that golden bronze tan, that size-0 waist? Well we, our society, cannot! We see the same type of people in all these ads and messages, so we automatically think, This is how we should all look—like perfect, plastic people. This is the standard of beauty in our society.

Little do we think that the gorgeous hair is retouched, that the golden tan is fake or even that the size-0 waist is Photoshopped. Ironically, all this is done to give the appearance that someone has a natural look! There is so much technology out there today to practically change someone’s entire appearance, just by a few clicks on a mouse and some lighting adjustments.

So what happened to “It’s what’s on the inside that counts”? When did a few extra pounds in the midsection, a frizzy hair day or pale skin become ugly? Who set the rules that we all have to look like Barbie and Ken? The image of what is considered beautiful today is so twisted. We need to get it in our minds that the models on television do not really look like that!! It’s called technology, people!!! We need to define a new line between real beauty and fake beauty, because over the years, that line has been disintegrating. We all kill ourselves over trying to get the “perfect body” and the overall “perfect look.”

If we all commit to promising ourselves to not make it our goal to look like the models in the media and to start looking the way we want to look and we consider is beautiful, that is real beauty inside and out.

Information Overload

Amy W. — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 16:13:54 +0000

With all of millions of people participating in social-networking sites and programs today, it can be hard to remember sometimes that this common hobby can still be dangerous. You may think that the only people who are able to view your information are the “friends” on your page, but that is a common misconception. Child predators, police officials and the government all have their ways of accessing your pages—putting you at risk of possibly attracting unwanted attention or, at worst, getting busted.

Facebook, for instance, is a great way to meet new people, reconnect with old friends and stay in touch with people from out of town, but you never really know who you are communicating with behind that computer screen. I personally think that putting information on Facebook such as your telephone number and e-mail address are far too personal. You never know who will try to contact you, and what they will do with that contact information. Finding the right balance between letting others know what is going on in your life but still staying safe and private at the same time is key to not putting yourself in danger.

One test for knowing when enough is enough: Is there anything on your social-networking sites or pages that you don’t want the entire world to see? You may think a comment or picture is deleted just by pressing the “delete” button, but trust me, it is in cyberspace for good. So the next time you put a new piece of info on your page, just make sure you’re comfortable with you and—potentially—the whole world viewing it.

Toxic Texting

Amy W. — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 18:11:20 +0000

Being part of the first generation of texters, I seem to know all of the ins and outs of the phenomenon. Even though I am not a licensed driver yet, I am still fully aware of all of the dangers of “texting behind the wheel.” Being the passenger of many of my friends who are all starting to get their licenses, it makes me nervous when they even look at their phone for a split second, knowing anything can happen as soon as they take their eyes off of the road. A problem we have that applies to other various aspects of life is that we always seem to take on more responsibility than we can handle. We may think that we are able to multitask while driving, but it really is way too distracting. The road needs to be your one and only focus behind the wheel.

Pedestrians, street signs, buildings, stores and other vehicles around you are enough of a distraction, without adding your cell phone to the mix. One may think they are being “cool” because they can text while driving, but how cool are you, buddy, when you and your friends get in a fatal crash because you were texting?
When someone as popular and well known as Oprah Winfrey is saying to not text behind the wheel, then I, for one, immediately open my eyes and ears and listen in on what she has to say. Oprah is calling texting while driving our new deadly obsession, literally. If you are texting while driving, you are putting your own life at risk, as well as your passengers’ lives and the lives of the people in the cars around you. So many people of all ages are being killed each year from the consequences of texting while driving. Oprah is trying to get people to take her No Phone Zone Pledge to not text while driving. Hopefully this will motivate people to take the pledge—and to be safer drivers.

Among many of the gadgets we use today are various Bluetooth or “hands-free” cell phone devices. Too many people think that these devices are 100 percent safer than actually holding your cell phone—WRONG! Studies show that these hands-free devices can be just as distracting as holding the cell phone itself; you are still being distracted by talking and engaging in another thing other than the road.

So the next time you are driving and you go to pick up your phone, stop and think for a minute: Is this text (or phone call) really life or death? And if you are a passenger, make sure you tell your driver to not use their phone at any time while you are in the car…and even when you are not! Taking a minute out of your day to participate in Oprah’s No Phone Zone Pledge could end up adding years to your life!

College Is Calling!

Amy W. — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 19:27:45 +0000

It seems to be every parent’s dream to send their kids off to college, so they can get a great education pursuing what they love and find a successful, well-paying job and eventually settle down and provide them with grandchildren some day. In thinking about all those big goals, it’s easy to forget about the little stuff leading up to the great milestones in life. The graduations. The packing and unpacking. Getting rid of old treasures from your childhood room and most importantly, the good-byes. But as my older sister is going off to college next fall, I am going to try and focus on the little things first, and deal with the big goals when they are actually a little more in reach.

I still remember when my mom could not believe that my sister and I were starting elementary school, then middle school and then eventually high school. When events are so far away, you tend to put them in the back of your mind, knowing that they are going to occur, but always feeling like they are never going to actually happen. This is exactly how I had been feeling in the months leading up to my sister’s graduation. But when graduation day finally came, it was bittersweet. I was so happy for her knowing she will be going off to a great college with a world of new experiences, but also sad knowing I am losing someone who is one of the closest people to me in my life and one of the few who has known me my entire life.

At her graduation party, many people came up to me and said, “I bet you are excited to be an only child next year!” I would give a smile and laugh, and just kind of nod my head yes, but as more people started to say that to me, I started to wonder if I really was excited about that prospect.

Well, am I? I have been going over this question for quite some time in my head. Will all of the attention be to my advantage, or will my parents not know when enough is enough?! Will what used to be once-in-a-while quality bonding days now be every second of every day? Aaarrrggghhh! But there will also be some perks to this situation: not having to share a bathroom, getting my parents’ undivided attention when I want it and not having to pick up after my messy sister. But don’t get me wrong, none of these things overrides the sadness I will feel when I no longer see my sister every day.

I’m sitting on my couch writing this, only about one week into summer—T-shirt, shorts and all. We will both be home for the majority of the summer, taking advantage of all of the time we have together (well, most of the time). So when it is time to send her off in August, I am going to remind everyone to stop for a minute and think about the here and now, and to worry about the “down the road” a little more down the road.

Longing for a License

Amy W. — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 21:36:32 +0000

“Dad can you take us to the movies tonight?” “Mom, can you take me to the mall for a few hours?”After a mere 16 years, these words will all be put to rest when you finally pass that driving test! The freedom you have when you get your license will open up a whole new opportunity for plans, taking care of errands and running out at the spur of the moment to be with your friends. But wait, we can’t forget that you actually have to get your license before all of this can happen!

The six or so weeks leading up to take the test can be even more nerve-wracking than the test itself. You think you may have only told your closest friends when your test is, but before you know it, the entire school is wishing you good luck. So at this point, you think that it will make no difference by putting it on your Facebook status. You receive 15 comments on it, and 20 “likes” from various friends and acquaintances. You keep getting more and more excited as you count down from six weeks, to three weeks, to five days. Now, that just increased the pressure to pass by about one million percent! You also may start to see who is “sucking up” a little bit to you, and who is being extra friendly in the hallway—thinking in the back of their minds that they can hopefully get a ride with you sometime soon.

So you have the biggest weekend plans of the year riding, no pun intended, on this test. The entire school is biting its fingers waiting to hear the results, and you cannot wait a second longer to have all of the freedom—and the car keys. But before you can say the word “go,” you fail.

So, what now? I guess it’s back to asking mom and dad to give up part of their weekend to drive you around, and some new people might stop saying “hi” to you in the hall. But you also have to face more than 500 Facebook friends and IM’s from people who are saying sorry. Little do they know, they are only making it worse. You feel like the whole world is driving by. But then you slowly start to get your personality back and realize that you can schedule another appointment. You just have to hope for lucky No. 2.

You may be surprised to hear that I don’t even have my permit yet, but one of my best friends had an experience just like it. A friend so close that you find yourself feeling like her life is yours, and yours is hers. She was in tears when she didn’t get her license. There was so much hype about it, which made it even worse when she didn’t pass. Fortunately, she has already scheduled another appointment and will hopefully be more ready than ever this time.

So, some lessons my friend learned from this experience for next time: Do not tell a single soul the next time you schedule a test. Be underconfident, just in case you may not pass again. And throw all of your nerves out the window before getting anywhere near the driving center. I hope my friend keeps these things in the back of her mind. All we can do is hope for the best for the next test. After all, we both have a lot riding on this one because I can’t even qualify for my permit until July!

Teens and Cell Phones

Amy W. — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 22:02:08 +0000

So what’s the deal with teens and our cell phones? They’re like an essential body part—we feel incomplete without them. Cell phones are our connection to friends and family out of the country, out of state, even right next to us. They’re a fast social networking device that helps us stay connected to others so that they’re never more than a call or text away. Since I don’t drive yet, one of the biggest reasons I always have my cell phone by my side is the convenience factor. Knowing that the person will get my text a mere 30 or so seconds after I send it is reassuring.

The fast communication a cell phone allows us to have is the answer to the question “Why are they always on?” We can’t bear the thought of a friend having the latest gossip to share and not hearing about right this minute! Just like doctors, teenagers always need to be “on call,” reachable anytime. Cell phones also come in really handy when we need to be picked up when out with our friends, or in case of an emergency. Having Mom, Dad or an older sibling just a push of a button away is key. And if our go-to people are not picking up when we’re in a crunch, we can just go into that contact list of 100-plus people; we’re bound to find someone who can give us a lift.

So, we’ve established that cell phones come in handy for many different reasons and that they’re super-convenient. But how much is too much?

Well, if you have turned into a texter at the dinner table, say, “Hold on, I’m on the phone” more than twice a day, talk on your phone more than to the person sitting across from you or disturb those around you at the movies because you can’t put your phone down for two hours—well, I hate to break it to you, but you have crossed the “too much” line. If you find yourself talking to the people on your phone more than the people who are physically with you, then I think it’s time for a little “cell vacation.”

Really, the latest piece of gossip can wait until after that rare family dinner where everyone is actually present. You wanted to see this movie, right? Then try actually watching it! You’ll be seeing your friend in less than two hours—I think you’ll survive.

The bottom line is, if your cell phone is getting in the way of what you’re doing in your actual life, you may need to put it back in your purse. Our whole society is guilty of crossing the “too much” line at one point or another. With a little help from the older generation, we may be able to reduce our use of these little pieces of addiction and let go a bit.