Lena's Blog

     As soon as I got my very first bike, around 4 or 5, my parents naturally attached training wheels, as they had done for my older brother in years prior. But then I saw him zoom ahead of me, while I was left in the dust, hindered by my feeble, plastic training wheels. In that moment, I decided that I would ditch my training wheels and become just as fast as him. When my parents learned of my plan, they suggested that I try out training wheels for a while first. Instead of accepting their advice, I got angry and refused. I was upset that they didn’t think I was capable of doing what my brother was. It took several sessions and an array of bruises and scratches from falling, but eventually I learned to ride a bike, without the help of my parents or a background using training wheels.      Learning to ride a bike was just the beginning of my aversion to my parents’ help. When I discovered that my brother was reading the Harry Potter series, I insisted on r...

  Dear iPod Touch 7th Generation, When I reached the concluding gift of my 11th birthday and unwrapped you, neatly arranged in Apple’s signature white box, I felt happier than ever before. There you sat in all your glory, complete with all of the amenities an iPhone had, besides a phone number. You were the perfect gift for a sixth grader like me, whose parents believed that letting their kid have a phone at such a young age would rot their brains, but somehow, they approved a virtually identical device.  From then on, I treated you with the utmost respect. I picked out a sturdy, durable case, so as not to scratch your radiant rose-gold metallic finish. I perfectly attached a plastic screen protector after several bubble-filled, failed attempts. I even made sure to charge you only during the day, instead of overcharging you while sleeping and consequently ruining your battery. All in all, I kept you in pristine condition.  Unfortunately, my romanticized view of you couldn...