The Next Generation.

I'm training to be a journalist and as part of the role, I'd be asking difficult questions and that is a skill. 

However, I have a 12-year-old sister who has a boyfriend in the same year as her and they both share an interest on how the world works like most young people do. Since I spend most of my time with them, I observed their behaviour to see how they approached adults with their curiosity.

They fired away with questions like children do but they often asked the most awkward ones without hesitating. I had to experience this when both my little sister and her boyfriend were intrigued about my ex-boyfriends:

"How did you break up?"

"Why did you break up?"

"Why did you go out with him?"

"Do you wish you never went out with him?"

Oh yes, interrogation from children do keep you on your toes and make you think about your answer because you can't explain it to them the way it's been informed to your friends and it must have a lesson to it all. I found it unusually uncomfortable because I was briefly talking about my serious relationships to a young child who might not understand why things happened.

Children don't think before they speak and they can get away with embarrassing questions simply because of their age and innocence. 

I find their inquisitiveness quite adorable and very funny because children come up with the most random things you would ever hear. 

This is why I think children would be cracking journalists since they have a genuine thirst for knowledge and they are talented at probing people for answers. 

However, it wouldn't be fair on them to land such an enormous job at that age. Children have other issues to attend to such as school crushes and Creeper explosions in Minecraft. 

So, for now, I think I'll let this idea slide. Growing up is inevitable, and they won't be young for long since they sprout up so quickly, so it's nice to let them enjoy being a child while they can.

I guess I've still got my job after all....For now.

The Day I Forgot My Phone.

Ha, well that was an interesting day. I don't think I have ever forgotten my phone before, then again, I'm quite blonde most of the time so this shouldn't surprise me.

It was during the Easter Holidays and I was planning to meet my friend for a catch up in Exeter, so I put my phone on charge before I left for the train. Somehow in my brain, I had forgotten about it completely. So I took my belongings and left the house. 

I got to the half way mark and realised to my horror that my phone wasn't in my bag because I usually check the time. I seriously didn't have time to go back home and I didn't want to miss this train so I took the risk, because I thought, we've arranged to meet in the pub upstairs so how hard can it be being phoneless? Well I was bloody being silly. 

Waiting on the platform for 4 minutes felt awkward. Usually, I would whip out my iPhone and get going on Facebook, but oh no, I was having an off day and here I was, looking at a fence on the opposite platform. I think it needed a paint...

On the train, however, it got worse. On a normal train ride, I would be playing games, checking the time, looking on Facebook a bit more and Instagram - all of these activities are on my phone and I left my little baby at home. I felt very lost. I had no sense of the time - I noticed the train didn't display the time on the day I forgot my phone which I thought was typical. So it made me think, I should really get a watch...

When I arrived into Exeter, the time was 11.40am which meant that I had 20 minutes to kill until the pub so I went walkies around town. Whilst walking into shops and peering through shop windows, I was surprised to find no clocks or times anywhere. I don't know how long it had been since leaving the station and it didn't help that nowhere had the time. I'm guessing it's because the staff had their phones on them. Or a watch. Damn.

I found a department store with the time but their floor was covered in clocks with a mixture of confusing times so it did make me want cry as I didn't know which one was genuine.

Now, bet you're wondering why I hadn't asked someone for the time? Good question. It would have been quite helpful but I like to know the time all the time which would have meant asking dozens of people throughout Exeter. That would be exhausting and embarrassing.

If I did ask some random stranger at the time, they would have popped out their phone and told me. Whilst their phone was out, I would've cheekily asked to use it to inform my friend that I had forgotten my phone because my head wasn't screwed on properly but because I didn't have my phone, I didn't know her number off by heart which made me think again - ALWAYS have an contacts list on you. 

Finally, I entered a British Heart Foundation store where I had to queue up for the time because there was a line for the counter. Oh dear. The nice gentleman looked at his computer screen and stated that it was 11.55am. I thought great, I didn't have long to wait now. Oh, how wrong was I.

I stood outside Weatherspoons debating whether to carry on standing there until my friend comes, however, I was also thinking, maybe she's upstairs already. Maybe she's early? So in I went and there was no sign of her, but I persisted and walked around the upper floor like I was lost. It was embarrassing since it was full of people but I needed to get over it in order to find my friend. 

Ten to fifteen minutes had gone and I wondered if she was running late so I decided to have a cup of tea and waited on a table for her. While I was drinking my tea, a sign in front of me confirmed my phone nightmare, on this display it said: "Free WiFi". Oh. My. Days. That dampened my mood.

Half an hour had passed, and I had finished my tea. I didn't know what was going on. If she was texting or calling me, I wouldn't know. After my tea, I thought I'd give it another go outside. When I did, I saw a young woman with longer hair than I remembered, with a Blackberry in her ear looking annoyed. I felt so much relief when I saw it was her! We both did. We immediately hugged each other and asked how long we'd both been waiting. 
Turns out she had been outside because she didn't want to go upstairs, just in case I wasn't there and she had rang me several times and wondered why I didn't pick up.

We both went inside to get our lunch and a good catch up. She said it was her fault for not coming in but it was my fault too for not bringing my phone. I didn't mind about her not coming in, I was just so glad to see her after so long. She's been one of my closest friends since College.

Looking back, I'm glad I forgot my phone. It taught me how important technology is but it can let you down from time to time. Especially if the owner is an airhead.

In the future, if I ever forget my device again, I will turn my ass around next time. And then text them to say I'll be late because I forgot my phone. Oh, wear a watch too. 

Ps. If you're wondering why it took me 15 minutes to finish a mug of tea, it's because I was sat alone on a four seater table where large families were coming in for lunch. As bad as it sounds, I wanted to reserve my table for as long as possible in case my friend showed up, so I drank very slowly. 

Being A Virgin Is Trending.

Being a virgin is now considered the norm. It doesn't have so much of a stigma anymore.

I think being a virgin has a positive image. I lost mine at 16 because I was in a long term relationship with my first love but if I wasn't, I would have waited until I went to university.

In college, I was good friends with this guy and he was still a virgin. The majority of his friends had already spread their wings and were pressuring him into losing it willy-nilly. I didn't like the way they were treating him because he was still 'intact' and so I advised him to wait. I told him to wait until the right person comes along, because you'll never get it back once its gone. Hopefully he's taken my advice and being careful.

Being celibate is not all bad. Many women and men have their reasons - For example, I have some friends who are religious and are remaining celibate/abstinent until marriage. 

There shouldn't be any pressure to lose it. If you're strong, you won't cave in.

Besides, there are advantages to dating or being a virgin:

1) You won't worry about pregnancy.

2) You don't have to worry about STDs or any other kinds of diseases - They're clean.

3) Less chance of getting Cystitis if a virgin - Mainly in girls.

4) Save money on condoms if you don't have sex. 

5) It's nice being new to the whole experience if it happens. 

Like I said, I lost mine at 16 years old. It may seem young but I was ready since I was in a relationship - and it was legal. However, once you have sex, it does take over your life because it's such a new experience and it's fun but the timing was bad for me as I was studying for my GCSEs at the time. 

I don't ever wish I never did it because I chose to do it when I was in love and with a man I wanted to give it to, but I have a little sister so I do worry sometimes that she will lose it at 16 because I found it acceptable that I did. If she does, I hope it is with someone worthwhile. You will always remember your first love. 

In the end, I think that if someone is willing to lose their virginity to you, it shows that they like you, they trust you and believe that it won't be wasted and taken for granted - Hopefully in the end, you won't end up as a total regret for someone. 

Life may not be a fairy tale, but I'm a romantic at heart.