Steps to Resolving Conflicts with Teens

Occasionally you might find yourself in an argument with a teen or anyone for that matter. You might find that the argument is going nowhere fast and getting a little out of hand. I have just a few simple steps to resolve the situation.

Step #1: The individual is in your face and is looking like they might shed some physical violence your way. Send some their way, just so they know you mean business. Start with a wrist-lock to stop their momentum. Then move into an arm-lock to immobilize them.

Step #2: While you have them in an arm-lock, suggest they position themselves flat on the ground. If they refuse, shift your weight and throw them to the ground. When they hit the ground re-establish the arm-lock and pin their shoulder to the ground by moving their arm to a 90 degree angle to the floor and adding a slight downward pressure.

Step #3: Reiterate your argument and explain why they are wrong. You have all the time in the world cause they aren't going anywhere. Hold this position until the individual is calm, and someone else is there to help you.

Step #4: With this second person's help, and while keeping an arm-lock, lift the individual off the floor. Escort the individual to a secure place and release. Conflict Resolved.

So in case you haven't guessed it already, I got to restrain a kid at the group home. I wasn't having an argument with him, but he wasn't liking what some of his peers were saying/doing. He tried going after one of them, and that's when I stepped in. It was actually a lot of fun, and it did effectively end the argument they were having.

Loyalty

I think that one of the greatest and worst characteristic a person can have is loyalty. On the good end you stick it out no matter what. And on the bad end you're still sticking it out even if you should have jumped ship long ago.

I am extremely loyal, loyal to a fault. When someone gets into the 'Inner Circle,' they are in. I will stand by them and do anything for them. If they need help, I do everything in my power for them. Even if I haven't talked to this person in months or years, the minute they need me I'm there. I also stand up for them. If someone is bad mouthing, or even threatening physical violence against them, I'd be the first one to go to bat for them.

Now it is pretty hard to get into the 'Inner Circle,' but it's next to impossible to get out. I've found on a couple of occasions (almost entirely involving girls) that I should have jumped ship. It seems that there are some people that have made it to the 'Inner Circle' that just aren't good for me, and bring me down. But for some reason I have this adamant loyalty that won't let me, let them go. Most recently there's this girl that's on a self destructive path, and is trying to pull me down with her. I know I should just cut my losses, but I can't. No matter how hard I try, or how mean she gets, I can't stop trying to help her. It just tares me up when I do. Right now I'm trying the whole ignore thing, but that doesn't work cause it just makes me think even more of how can I help.

It's just part of my nature I guess. But man o' man it sure can get me into a lot of trouble.

The U.N. Can Go Suck An Egg

Have I mentioned lately how much I despise Hilary Clinton? As part of her Presidential Platform she wants to strengthen America's standing in the world. She wants to do this by: ending the Iraq war; increase support of the U.N. and have them take care of the worlds problems; and begin sending money to third world countries so that children there can go to school.

1. Just saying you will end the Iraq war doesn't mean it will happen. She has no idea how to do it. If she did she would have already proposed it. And frankly I don't want to see troops pulled out. For starters I don't want to see the flow of oil to stop. That might not be a politically correct thing to say, but damn it I sure don't want to be paying $7 a gallon. And secondly there hasn't been a major attack on American soil. Hmm maybe that's because all the terrorists are busy in Iraq, fighting trained soldiers instead of over here.

2. The U.N. would not exist without the U.S. period, end of story. Also why would I want everything in the hands of a bunch of people that don't have my best intentions at heart? What's good for the world isn't always what's good for America. We're the biggest and baddest country around why shouldn't we act like it?

3. We don't have enough money to support our own schools, why would we be sending money to other countries to help theirs. You say that everyone needs an education. Ok, but where does it end? Even if they do get some education, they will still be at the bottom of the economic ladder, and it will all be for naught. Then you'll have to spend more of our money for higher education, because they will still be a third world country. It's a never ending cycle, until eventually we are the ones lagging behind. Bah why not put the money into higher education at home, so that we can have some one that can make something that can really help the world out?

In short the U.N. is worthless, and so is Hillary.

Not Another Emo Teen

In some cultures they just off people that are so utterly useless to society. Having said that I put this forth... People who wallow in their own self made misery should not be allowed in public.

I really can't stand and usually have very little patience with people who lament over every little imaginary tragedy in their life. For the most part it's all in their head. They are to self absorbed in their imaginary problems that they can't see just how good life is. And this usually comes from people that have everything. I'm talking about the white/suburban/middle income/well educated/two parent household kind of person. They have everything, and yet they are still unhappy with their life. They are better of then 90% of the world and yet for some reason they feel the world is unfair, and that they've been mistreated. Get a friggin grip.

I understand that occasionally there are a few people that have an actual medical problem. Ok, but that really doesn't cover all the kids out there that dress up in all black, listening to music about how society has left them by the wayside. It just annoys me to no end. I know people like this, even dated a few (my mistake).

What in the hell is wrong with them? Get a grip on yourselves and move ahead in life. You don't have it that bad. You do have friends/family that care about you. And if everything is pushing in on you that bad, it's because you made it that way. So deal with it, and stop pushing your problems onto everyone/everything else!

My Ideal Girl

As with everyone there are certain aspects that I look for in a member of the opposite sex. I would tell you what they are so you can help with my search.

Physical:
Blond Hair, Blue Eyes, Between 5'5" and 5'8", athletic, cute - I know that everyone is cute to someone and I would have to decide if they were cute for myself when I see them

Personality/Character:
Intelligent - I'm not just talking book smarts, I'm talking about someone that I can have a prolonged conversation with, without a lot of uhms, and ah I don't knows in there; Good sense of Humor - lets face it, if she don't have a strong wide sense of humor, she ain't gonna be around me for long; Caring; Honest; Outgoing - she doesn't have to be the center of attention; Friendly - she needs to be able to at least make polite conversation with strangers, cause sometimes she might find herself with a group of my friends that she doesn't know; Determined - I would like someone that knows what they want and goes for it, I don't want to have to make all the decisions; Straight Forward - I don't like beating around the bush, get to the point; Happy - nobody likes a sour grape

Other:
A Proficient Cook - I like to eat but I don't always like having to make the meal; Republican - I don't see 'eye to eye' with liberals; LDS or at least Christian - I don't see 'eye to eye' with atheists;

Most Important:
Unknown - there is an undefinable characteristic that I find most appealing, I don't know how to describe it, it's like an infectious spark that when I see them I can't help but smile and feel good, and then they smile and they just seem to "light up". If you know Liz, Jaelle, Katie, Brooke, Brenda, Sheri, Andie, or Aubrey you know the girls that I find this 'spark' in. And it seems with this unknown, the people that have it really stand out in my mind, and I can see that they have it the first time I meet them, usually.

Now I'm not saying that all of these things are needed, specifically the physical (cause if I find them attractive, what does it matter if they're not a blue eyed blond), but it helps. These are just some of the things that I know I like.

I Need A Haircut Among Other Things

My hair is getting way to long. It's long enough to hang over my collar. It's long enough that the first thing my friends tell me when they see me is "Get a haircut." And it's not just that it's long. It would make it so much easier to defend if that was the only problem. The real problem is that it's so stink unmanageable. It does what ever it wants, and goes where ever it wants, there is no controlling it. I don't know what to do. On the one hand, I really do hate long uncontrollable hair. And on the other, I just don't really like going and getting it cut. There does come a point however where it becomes so unmanageable that I just have to go and get it cut. I just haven't gotten to that point yet.

I also need to get myself a girlfriend. To get a girlfriend I need to go on dates. To go on dates I need to know girls. Since I don't know many girls, I rely on my friends to help me out. Since my friends don't know to many girls, I'm screwed. In some respects I don't really want a girlfriend cause I don't want to put up with all the drama that it entails. But on the other hand it's really nice just to have someone around, and I'm feeling left out since both of my roommates now have girlfriends, and I haven't been on a date in like three months. There are a couple of prospects that I would like to date, but unfortunately they have taken themselves out of the equation. Blast!

I also need to start expanding my mind. Not with drugs! But with learning, and I'm not really even talking about going to school. Just keeping up with current events, and having a broader general knowledge. It seems just in general conversations I'm behind the times in almost every topic. I don't know maybe I should start reading the paper, or maybe something that isn't a complete work of fiction.