28.

Four more weeks until summer and I'm as ready as I've ever been. I haven't had a break longer than a few weeks since college started and I look forward to it; I likely won't know what to do with myself. I mainly look forward to spending time with family and friends back home. I miss them. There was never much drama (aside from a minor argument here and there), and never trouble; I have been able to avoid both things here, but it is far more difficult. It's funny, considering that I met them when I was at an age that certain situations and activities weren't even thought of and, somehow (either due to luck or good judgement on my part) they all turned out to avoid the same ones that I not only avoid, but am against.

I've always felt bad for people who fell under the influence of bad "friends" or bad people in general and - as I've seen first hand cases of this in people closer to me more recently -I wish people were sometimes less scared to tell another person "go to hell" because it would be "unfriendly" or they might upset someone.

I remember when I used to be entirely optimistic and thought that, no matter what, everything would end up okay. But even then, I was able to tell when I might have been better off not letting certain people too close. Certain things that have happened over the past two or three years have certainly made me more realistic about things and I have realized that being wary of people is one thing, but - for me at least - there is no reason to be scared. I think other people should be scared sometimes, but I'm not likely to be swayed from the things I truly believe in.

Do I think people who influence (or convince) another person to do the wrong thing or to do something harmful to themselves is actively thinking about doing harm to that person? Of course not, though I'm sure it does happen in some circles. I do, however, think that the fact that they don't care or think about what they're doing is just as bad if not worse. Maybe it is hard for them to have foresight, but it's hard to even consider that when you consider that the person cares so little that it doesn't even begin to cross their mind, and if the person who is being convinced has trust in his/her "friend", it's unlikely motives or reasons (whether or not they exist) will be questioned. Naivety is interesting because different people may have advanced insight and understanding in certain areas of life, and a complete lack thereof in others. One should love his friends, value his friends, and respect his friends, but nobody should be scared to question his friends if ever there is doubt.