"Education is the most powerful weapon, which you can use to change the world." -Nelson Mandela.

Teaching. Any person can go to school, and be hired as one. It takes a special soul, loving and caring person, who truly wants to educate, and make children love learning, to be a real teacher.

I've wanted to teach since I was a child. I looked up to my first grade teacher, Mrs. Webb, and knew instantly, that this is the woman I want to grow up to be. Her listening skills, are fabulous. Her teaching skills, marvelous. Her friendly, outgoing spirit? Once in a lifetime, you'll meet a woman like that. She called me "Tiffie", and she taught me more than any of my other teachers in Elementary school. She had reasons to like everyone. She takes people, and accepts them for who they are. There's no judging in her classroom. People come from different races, backgrounds, thoughts, places, and even different mindsets. She likes to embrace the different ones, and make them feel at home.

Mr. Webb in the back. I'm the one in the middle,

with the black dress on, and the blonde hair!

Mrs. Webb used to have me stay in from recess, to help her with paperwork. I loved it. I told her how my dream was to be just like her, and she taught me some tools to make that happen. Her list of rules, of being a teacher, was the first thing she taught me:

1. Accept all for who they are.
2. Never single anybody out, because they are incapable.
3. Patience is key.
4. Truly listen. You never know what they could be trying to hint about.
5. Love your children, with all your mind, soul, and heart.

She's more wise and thoughtful and caring, than I ever thought a person could be. She teaches me daily, about how to be a good person. She also tells me that some people are just blessed more than others, and to always take those blessings, and turn them into the biggest positives for the kids.
She has made me want to be a teacher, not only because of her work ethic, but because of her love for children, and desire, and strive to be a better one.

"You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality." -Walt Disney.

That's where I'll stop for now.
Will I continue later?
Totally.

A very first kiss.

A first step, in everyone's life. A milestone where the "cooties" are flaunted, and it's the first piece of drama, in the grade. Granted, the teachers don't want their students to have boyfriends/girlfriends, but we broke the rule a time or two.

I have encountered my first taste (literally) of what love is like. I'm a small 4th grader, and I am friends with this entire wing. We are the 4th graders of the Miles Lane, and we run this school. We look down to the 1st graders, and we don't care about what the people have to say. We are the "big kids", and we are unstoppable. Together, we have it all. Together, we are undefeated in the game of "four square". We have a boy, who recently broke his leg, *cough, cough* to a girl, *cough cough*, and is in a wheelchair. He still gets up, and plays the game with his bright green cast on. We have these girls, with pigtails in their hair, and Bobby Jack merchandise on. We have this small African American boy, who has been my boyfriend for a whole 2 1/2 weeks. He is dressed in athletic wear, with a huge Afro. Maybe it even distracts our opponents. I'm not entirely sure.

This boy though. He was my biggest crush. He had these big brown eyes, and his laugh was the cutest thing, I had ever seen. I'm roughly 10, and he's my boy, so this is a big deal. Oh, reminder: Myself and this boy have been best friends since the first grade. He was my first boy to ever hold hands with, talk to, and even my very first friend. He was there, he was cool, and he was all mine. I say to him "Hello dear, and hey, um, I have a question for you." That's it Tiffanie, you got him, finish your sentence. This is your best friend. It's not a huge deal.

"Yeah, what's up?"
"Um, I'm having a small Halloween party with a few of our closest friends. You're invited. You can come if you want!"
"Sure, Tiff. That sounds awesome. I can't wait to go with you."

Butterflies were in action. This was it. I knew I was finally going to kiss my boyfriend. This would be a huge deal. Everyone would love it, and everything would be perfect. My friends arrive to my house, and we start to play tag outside. We're playing, and running, and he grabs my hand, and smiles at me. Ugh, my heart is beating. I'm not ready. Is this supposed to happen so fast? Could I get pregnant from this? I mean, he's a nice guy and all, I feel bad saying no. What the hell, Tiffanie? Go in there, sit on your bed, and pucker up, princess. *Sigh* Here goes nothing.

We went into my room, and my other friends were sitting on the floor. We were all paired up. Me, and My boyfriend, of course. My friend Mitch, and my best friend, B. Nate, and my friend Jade.  Everything was good. Everything was set. We were all going to kiss our partner, and it would make history. Nate and Jade were first, and they took the longest. Nate looked at me after, and told me that they were cousins. HAHA, gross. Anyways. Mitch and B were next, and Mitch puckered up, leaned in, and B nailed him in the face. I mean when I say "nailed", she leaned back, and swung her fist forward, with force. She scratched his face, and when he fell backwards from the hit, he broke my movie stand. It was terrible. He leaned up, with blood on his face, and B was laughing. She looked at me and said, "Tiff, I'm so not ready for THAT. I'll just sit here." Haha,okay B. You do what makes you happy. Then it was our turn. My worst nightmare, and biggest dream. I remember it perfectly. I looked over at Nate, and he was wiping his lips off. I look over to see Mitch and B, and she was fixing her nails, and he was applying a Band-Aid. I finally looked over at Josh, my boyfriend, and was leaning in with those big black lips, commin' in hot. Imagine this with the jaws theme song, and super slow motion like. I was thinking about that I should just commit, Tiff. You got this. I leaned in, and we smooched. It was the most scary, yet soothing 5 seconds, ever. We leaned back, opened our eyes, and I'll never forget what he said to me. He looked into my eyes, and said, "That was fun. Let's do that again!"
No, sweet pea. Let's not. I'm still recovering. I slowly pushed him back, and told him that I still loved him, and to not take it personal. I don't think I could take that type of stress again. It was almost too much, and even though we had kissed, I was still thinking about the possibilities of doing it again. It was fun, and he made me feel somewhat comfortable.

<3.

Josh Gray, My first friend. My first guy to ever hold hands with, my first love, and my first kiss.
These are the moments I'll never forget, and those are the memories I live for. A girl never forgets her first kiss, and she'll always remember the day, time, and how it went down. I don't regret it.
He still to this day, is one of my very good friends. We've drifted apart, though. However, if I needed to vent, or just talk. I know that he's be there for me, through everything. Those you grow up with, stay around for life. Those who have stood up for you, protected you, told the bullies to pound sand where the sun don't shine, and held your hand while you cried, will be there for you.
Every. Step. Of. The. Way.



That's where I'll stop for now.
Will I continue later?
Totally.

My favorite thing in this world.

My life long dream is to be able to see a little piece of the world. I've wanted to feel the breeze of Paris, while listening to that music...classical? I don't know. Like the violins? It's the type of music you'd hear on a movie, when their sightseeing. Anyways. I've wanted to see the white sandy beaches of Barbados, and the crystal clear water. Tropical vacations have been a dream since I was young, yes, but my dream is something much more subtle.

Palm Trees.

They're my  favorite thing. I've never seen one in person, and I have ALWAYS wanted to. Palm trees are just so beautiful, and I become mesmerized by their appearance. How the leaves sway, the "bark" is formed, and how innocent they are. I'm in love. My friends who go to tropical places on vacation, always send me pictures of Palm trees, because they think of me.

 Look at it! *Sigh*

  I will have one, some day.

Next spring, Lucas, Alec and his family, my sister, Mike, and myself are going to take a trip to Mexico. Cancun has a bunch of Palm trees, and I will most likely have an emotional break down when I see them. I've never been on vacation before, or on a plane, or anywhere for that matter. I've been to Vermont, New Jersey, and Boston. It's not that exciting. I want to go somewhere, where I can be completely relaxed, and calm. I want to enjoy the breeze, and lay on the beach. I want to forget my worries, go zip lining, and have a great time with my family.

Some day soon, I'll be able to see my life long dream. I'll be laying under them, calmly, with a tropical drink in my hand. I'll be tan, and worrying only about the weather. Life will be fabulous.

That's where I'll stop for now.

Will I continue later?

Totally.

My best friend. My go-to lady. My crying shoulder... My Sister.

Stephanie Lin Bridges. A girl who has been my protector, and a second mother to me, since she first held me. 

My sister is my hero, and role model. She is the person I know for a fact that I couldn't live without. She has a way of making me laugh when I'm crying, which is really hard to do (I'm a pathetic looking crier.) She calls me, or arrives at the house if I even sound sad. She comforts me, and loves me unconditionally. Sometimes we don't show our love, but we have our own jokes, and humor that nobody understands. 

 Senior night, during Football Season.

2013.

 While the pictures we take are cute,

there's not a single time we can take them seriously.

At the wedding, for our parents. 

Matching. Holla.

Stephanie is so beautiful, I can't say it enough. We have been so close all through our years. 

Growing up, Stephanie always was the princess, and blamed everything on who? You guessed it. Me. We have a Playhouse that is behind our house a little, and it's in the woods so we could make forts and such. Stephanie and I always loved playing house. She had to be the mom, and I was always the kid doing the housework (chores), and had to lug heavy trees from the woods. Although I never really knew why. If Stephanie pushed me down, and I cried, it's because I tripped. If we were late to her soccer practice, it was because I took too long eating dinner. Everything was my fault, but I understood. I was the punching bag. 

Stephanie and I always loved watching cartoons, every Saturday morning. You know: Catdog, Hey Arnold, the Rugrats, and so much more. I loved Hey Arnold, and one of the characters mother, Merriam, was my favorite. 

One evening we went to "Shop 'N Save" with mother. She was in the shampoo isle, and I was behind Stephanie with these long, bright blonde braids in my hair. I dressed myself, so it looked like we were just weird, homless kids. Anyways. Mom and Stephanie rounded a corner, and the next thing I knew, I was standing in the store, all by myself. Someone was going to take me, and I would never see my family ever again. I started calling out after my mother. 

Big deal, right? Well, I forgot about that day until recent. My mother decided to take a trip down memory lane. She told me that I wasn't calling out, "MOM!" I was yelling Merriam.

 "Merriam. Merriam. There you are, Merriam. I've been looking everywhere for you. How could you leave me, Merriam? You're my mom! I was so scared, Merriam. So scared!"

"Tiffanie Lin. My name is NOT Merriam. Stop saying that."

"No, Merriam, I will not. You left me to be taken, and that's mean. So mean, Merriam. Take me home!"

Turns out, that I was walking next to Stephanie, and I was telling her I was hungry. She didn't want to listen to me anymore, and left. She followed mom, while I was trying to tie my shoe all by myself. Some sister. Also, when I was calling out Merriam, Stephanie put her hand to her face, and shook her head. Mom asked where I was, and Steph replied, "don't know, don't care."

It's funny how things change. She would do anything in this world for me now, and while I thought we would never, ever, get along. She has been my absolute best friend, this entire life I have yet to live. <3

Here we are almost, 15 years later. Me, Stephanie, and Merriam.

That's where I'll stop for now.

Will I continue later?

Totally.

A day in the life, with Taylor D.

Where should I begin with this topic? There's just so much to share. 

Cheering season, last year is a strong start. 

So, I was a Junior in High School, and trying to help the Middle School team, here and there, as much as I could. I arrived at practices, critiqued their jumps, and tried to make them better. Sitting on the floor, I watched this girl, who stood out more than everybody else on the mat. She had this bright blonde hair, and was taller than everybody else...including me. I looked up to this girl, literally. She was huge. She was trying to back a stunt that kept falling. I stepped in there, and showed her how to improve. We instantly clicked.

At the competitions they had, I arrived anxious. I screamed louder than ever before, and I slammed my hands on the mat, screaming Taylor's name. She smiled at me, and truly wanted to win more than anything else. She was determined, she was striving, she was a winner. The stunt that I helped her with? Yeah, It went perfectly that day, and I started to cry. She hit her final pose, and yelled "BUCKS!" After her dreams became reality, she ran off the mat, hugged my girl, Sam, and then came up to me. She looked down at me, and asked me if I was proud. Yes baby girl, I am so friggin' proud of you.

This year came by rather fast, I may add. She showed up with high hopes, multiple dreams, and a large world ahead of her. We started to fight, and bicker a little bit more and more. Some reasons could be because we have dated the same boy, or even that I was a little jealous of her. We never saw eye to eye, during the whole time we shared the same cheering team, and school. 

I never knew that I could feel so regretful, so quick. 

The times I shared with Taylor, will always remain memories in the back of my mind. I could never get another "Taylor Hug", and believe me, she was famous for them. She helped me through some pretty rough times, and even though I pushed her away, she always came back with her long ass arms, open wide.

Understand what I mean? Her arms, were so long. Holy shit.

But there we are, right in the front.<3

(Please disregard Sarra Bridges' face, on the far right.)

This girl had a way of just smiling, and lighting up a whole room. She could be laying in the mud, and still look absolutely gorgeous. It was ridiculous. It was something I was so jealous of. She just had such natural beauty, and had no problem showing it.

There's GG.<3.

Let me dive a little deeper with why I call her "GG." It's short for Go-Go-Gadget. Three G's sounded bad, so we stuck with two. Her arms and legs were just so long, that we gave her a nickname. 

GG left us on Thursday, October 3rd, 2013. My final words to her? It's a phrase I will not only remember for the rest of my life, but I will always be thankful that we had such a good last day together. I looked up into her deep blue eyes, and told her "Goodbye, and Stay beautiful." 

That you will, sweet girl, that you will.

That's where I'll stop for now.

Will I continue later?

Totally.

A little bit about me...


My life is completely normal, some may say. That's definitely not the case. I live day to day, going through my own struggles, drama, and the influences of many. I like to try to stay secluded away from the negative people, because it's much better for my overall heath. 

I am a cheerleader to the max. Everything about cheering, or even remotely close to the sport, I study. I have been cheer leading for about 10 years or so, and I hate to toot my own horn, but I will anyways, I'm pretty good at it. There I said it.  I love my team, through everything we've been through. I have a special bond with these ladies that no one could ever replace. We went to Regional's and didn't make it by 1.8 points. It was heartbreaking. However, they came to practice the next day with smiles on their faces, hugging me. I love them all, and I will miss them so much next year. 

This is me!     ^,  and this is my team.

I have my very own dog, that I cherish more than anything . His name is Brockton, and he is a 14 month old, full American Pit bull. He is the most adorable little dog, ever. I rescued him from a bad family, who was ready to "take him out back", and end it all. The families neighbor took him in, and kept him for one night and needed to get rid of him. They already had 6 dogs, and couldn't handle another. He was at my house for some odd reason, and it only took one glance at him, and I was hooked. 

Look at that little face! He is absolutely perfect <3.

My boyfriend is my world. He is always there for me, and helps me get through all of the drama that finds me somehow. He makes me smile when the day is so shitty. Some days he's annoying and such, but I wouldn't change it for the world. He is the most handsome man, with the biggest heart. I grew up with him, and never really took the time to get to know him, up until last year. He came into my life, in the most unlikely way. We met at a dance... tacky, I know. Nevertheless, his smile took me by storm, and I needed to see that smile, more and more. He became a best friend that I could tell everything to, at any time of the night. Talking on the phone from 6:30-7:00 at night, to around 5 am, straight, made me realize just how special he was. We went to prom together you see, and he asked me to be his girlfriend, during the first slow song of the evening. Romantic? Check. Perfect? Check. Butterflies? More than check. There ware so many of them. I still get them, when I think about him.

Here's the Handsome man, himself. <3. 

Look at that smile. See what I mean?

That's where I'll stop for now.

Will I continue later?

Totally.