All of us have picked a number (1-30) and have committed to posting a blog, every month, on that day. We will be blogging about anything we want, but have also come up with monthly topics, in case we need some ideas and suggestions for blogging.

So Far we have picked Safety Issues for June; this includes all perspectives on what it means to be safe. It can be in your relationship, with your friends, or any other time. For July our topic is Substance Abuse Awareness.

Ana, Talia, Shomari, and Jevon have all picked a number, and if you want to take the challenge you can pick a number too!

Here are the numbers so far…

Ana-3

Jevon-12

Talia-20

Shomari-27

Any YAB member/CCY blogger who is interested in participating can post a blog with a number on top and we will add your name and number to the list.

We will be updating the monthly suggestions for the rest of the year soon.

And don’t forget to keep a look out for our monthly blogs.

Happy Blogging!!!

Ana

Yet it’s so easy to get caught up in a situation that was caused by either a lack of communication or just plain bad communication. I think that sometimes we just don’t realize that conflict actually happens because of bad communication.

I personally like to believe that all people have an element of good in them and that no good human would intentionally do harm to another person. Yet people get hurt every day, and conflict always seems to happen. Sometimes our emotions get in the way of saying the truth, or maybe we just don’t know how to say what is on our minds. Or maybe we try too hard not to hurt another person that we just keep things in. And then there are times when we get so heated that we let it all out. Whatever poor communication style you can think of, it almost always happens, to almost everyone. As I think about it I realize that so many conflicts could be avoided if we all just tried to be open and honest, and hence, better communicators.

But being honest with ourselves can be really difficult; it is so much easier to blame another person for their mistake and act like we’re perfect. Yet do we ever stop to think that a situation could have been avoided if we would have done something different, or better, said something different. And to this point, good communication is not just about telling our sides of the story, it’s about listening to the other person’s side too (and this can be the hardest part of communication). As the saying goes, it can be hard to handle the truth, especially if the truth means that we are wrong; our egos can really get in the way of trying to communicate.

I guess what I’m trying to say that even as humans, who use language every day, communication can be very hard, and too often we take our ability to communicate for granted; because even though communication is designed to foster relationships, too often does it lead to destruction of relationships. And to this point all I can do is try to improve my own communication, with myself and with others, and work hard to use communication for its good purpose.

Other than just connecting you to resources, the crisis line is the place you can call when you just need someone to talk to. When life gets really hectic and you don’t know what to do, when you’re in a shitty situation, the crisis line can actually be very helpful.

When you call the crisis line you talk to a counselor who actually listens to you, gives you positive advice, and offers resources that can help. When you’re done talking to the counselor you just feel so much better, like a burden has been lifted off your shoulders, and you realize that even though it’s hard, you can still handle it, and it will get better.

When an opportunity presents itself, you’re supposed to take advantage of it! Well, that’s what everyone tells you, but when it’s actually standing right in front of you, what if you start to second guess it? This is just a thought that has crossed my mind as I’m starting to experience new things. It’s funny how you can want something so bad for such a long time, and when it’s right in front of you… you suddenly don’t know if you actually want it.

But then you start to think, and you realize how long you’ve wanted this, you wanted a challenge, and you know you have to go for it! I guess we get so good at complaining about our everyday routine, we tend to take it for granted. We don’t realize how comforting our everyday life is, even if we hate it sometimes….   Just a thought!

Our day started off with a quick meeting in the morning, followed by a press conference, and ended with our visits with the legislators. My favorite part of the day was the press conference! I don’t think I’ve been to something like that before. All of us walked into a room that had a bunch of photographers at the front. I thought it was really cool; it felt very important. At the press conference 3 formerly homeless young people got the opportunity to tell their stories and explained how homeless youth programs personally benefitted their lives. Both Senator Carol Liu and Senator Alan Lowenthal were there listening to the stories. I loved that the cameras were filming these people and the senators were there listening. I think that Senators (the people who make these laws) are so quick to forget about young people and never really get a chance to understand young people’s perspectives. This press conference changed that!!! I loved it!

After the press conference we all broke into teams and went to talk to the legislators. Every visit was different. In some visits we talked a lot, in others we talked a little, and we even met in a hallway for one visit. We also didn’t always meet with the legislators directly, but rather we met with there staff. It’s not a bad thing to meet with staff though because, unlike legislators, staffers don’t have to get voted in and so they often know a little more than the legislators do.

We talked about 3 main bills on lobby day. The first one was SB 123, which is The California Homeless and Exploited Youth Act. This bill would create a state plan to assess and address youth homelessness in California. I really like this bill because it gives attention to homeless youth in California. Homeless kids do exist, and unfortunately, they are often ignored or forgotten. This bill recognizes homeless youth and addresses the fact that something needs to be done to get rid of homelessness.

The next bill was SB 119: Homeless Youth Shelter Regulations. This bill creates a set of regulations for homeless youth shelters that will allow them to serve youth better and provide quality services. Currently not all shelters are licensed, and the shelters that are licensed have to use rules that are geared towards children. This bill would change this, and essentially improve the services provided to homeless youth.

The last bill we discussed doesn’t have a bill number yet, but is called The California Housing Trust Fund. This law proposes that there is a trust fund to finance the creation of new affordable housing. The good thing about this bill is that it ensures that the needs of transition age youth are included. This means that some of this money will be set aside for young people, and be used to support agencies that provide services young people.

Overall, I had a lot of fun at legislative advocacy day! Once it was over I really felt like I was informing the people who make the laws about the needs of youth in California and working to make a difference in other’s lives!!!

The conference is always one of my favorite things out of the year because it really grounds me and makes me realize how much power we have when we put all of our voices together!!! I mean… were in Sacramento, we know whats important to us, and what effects our lives, we learn and listen to other peoples stories, and then we get trained on how to tell all that to those who run our state, so that we can make change!!!

One more week!!! See you all there =)

That is why the Crisis line is so important because its the one place people like me can turn to when we feel like there is no one else we can go to.

Do you know how good it feels to know that someone is listening!!! Especially when you feel like the rest of the world is against you!!!

To me this is why the Crisis line is so important, because its that someone we can talk to when we feel like no one else will listen.

and you know whats kinda funny, even parents call the crisis line!! I know my mom has called it a bunch of times when she doesn’t know what to do with me or my sister. For my mom, it was the place she could call for a second opinion, a different perspective, kinda like a counselor.

If the crisis line were to no longer exist, then who would people turn to? Especially when we feel like their is no one else that we can talk too!!! Life is hard right now, the economy is bad, its really hard to find a job, a living is really expensive… it is times like these that we need the crisis line most!!!

I cant believe that this will be my last year at UCSB. As they say, then come the real word. I’m not gonna lie, Im pretty scared about finishing, there’s still so much to do, so little time to do it all. And then I’m supposed to figure out what I want to do with the rest of my life… no not yet!!!

I guess for me its hard being a first generation college student because everything Ive learned, Ive learned on the go. I mean, I want to go to grad school but I feel like there is so much I don’t know about it that I don’t feel like I’m ready to go yet. And at the same time, I’m only 21 years old… I feel like I am too young to decide my career yet. I mean, I know my interests, but not what I want to do.

Does it sound like I’m a little nervous??? I’m sure it does, but I guess well just have to see what happens.

Good luck with school everyone!!!!

For now, I am just glad the quarter is almost over and I will have break to relax and refresh myself before the next quarter starts.