"i wanna be just like you"

When I enter a room, I carefully scan the area, indicating and setting up mental markers for garbage cans, tissues, clocks even escape routes in case of an emergency. I carefully select my seating, completely making personal and mental judgements based on ones appearance. Even though at times they fail me, my instincts usually lead me to where I feel I am meant to go. I have learned to trust them in courageous matters, and have learned to let go, and put my trust in the word of others.

I knew the professor, and have had many of her courses. I was able to get away with sitting at the back of the class typing every word that ever came out of her mouth. I also had to remain close to one of the only student accessible power sources. Most of the kids that occupied the seats beside me, where either the, "geniuses" that spent their class drawing a notebook filled with an anime comic story, not paying attention at all to lectures but still scoring high 90's or the kids that spent the entire class period flipping between "popula"r social network sites like, 'Facebook", "Tumblr", and "Twitter". I catch a number of "TMZ" photo uploads and re posts to either site, followed by joke, or humiliating story, most likely false but juicy in detail. Did I mention that, these are the kids I see sticking around to fail or , doing the smartest thing of all semester and dropping by the financial aid refund date.

The few that stuck around to cause their life demise, never participated in class discussions, but often interrupted with whispers and giggles. Due to my eye for, "precise location" I was at the center of conversation.

Today I found out that, "Snooki" a character from a "reality television programming show" was pregnant. The reality show takes please on the Shores of New Jersey. Sex, partying, sex, and emotional outbursts containing profanity seem to be the obvious social norms, displayed within the first fifteen minutes. Entertaining to some, a shame to me.

The next topic, more important than, the failing healthcare system in the United States was Lindsay Lohan appearance this Saturday on "SNL." They began filling each other in on Lindsay's history with drugs and alcohol. With the credibility of gossip articles like, "TMZ" these students and their attention was absorbed by the false identity's and advertisements of television programming.

I was concerned for myself, and those who would invest in energy and time into success. After all, these "glamorous" lifestyles portrayed ordinary people, "striking it rich" with their wit, charm and good looks. I was concerned and fearful of those that would buy into these, "lifestyles" meant to "entertain" us and become consumed to the point of obsession. Enough for one to mimic and idolize the actions that seem to be encouraged by most of my peers.

Really, this just pissed me off because instead of being concerned about current events that will effect our future or current political issues, they were obsessing about ordinary people who are payed to "act" and "entertain." At times I feel, we forget these are people that face the same decisions we do.

Unfortunately when the director yells, "cut" the life of a movie star is captured on an endless reel, waiting to be exposed, and waiting to be mislead.