Week-27

Writing/Poetry

Hi Guys! Welcome to Faces of Silicon Valley's Week-27 Blog Post! We're almost thirty weeks in from the start of our foundation. Now before, we get started on this week's blog post, I want to update you all on some Faces of Silicon Valley News!

1) Reminder: Please contact me if you'd like to be interviewed! Remember, your age or occupation doesn't matter! A little while ago, we met with two star athletes! If you don't what I'm talking about, I highly advise you to check out their stories on our Community Stories Page! Remember, you can be featured just like them! We make sure that all our interviewee applicants get a chance to share their stories at some point! Whether that be tomorrow or in a couple of weeks, we'll try out hardest to ensure that you will get a change to be a part of our journey! 

So as a review, you can be interviewed, if you're a student, a worker, a cook, a young or old entrepreneur! Basically if you want to share your story with the community, here at Faces of Silicon Valley! We'd love to hear your story! Just contact us using our interview application process: https://forms.gle/CAGsioU2V2QaLeCo8 or using our Contact Us Page! 

2) Please feel free to comment your ideas, thoughts, comments, or just about anything appropriate! We're happy to connect with more people! This is actually really easy to do! All you have to do is click on one of our blog posts and make a comment! We even have a "Comment Prompt" feature, where you can respond, and share your thoughts. This feature is usually found at the end of blog posts! In fact, last week I left some pretty inquisitive comments about some new steps I want to bring to Faces of Silicon Valley, please check those out, and let me know your thoughts ASAP! It's always good to respond to the comment prompt, and share your thoughts. This way we can ensure that everyone has a voice and we'll be able to forge and connect new communities!! So make sure to comment, even if a week has passed! We will still be happy to reply to your thoughts and connect with you!  

Speaking of features, remember our "Random Facts!" Somewhere in our blog post, we share a random fact! Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for one of those! Let us know if you have any thoughts on the random facts! And remember, if you or someone you know would like to be involved in Faces of Silicon Valley's Interview Process, just let us know, and we'll be happy to get back to you! 

3) Feel free to inform others about Faces of Silicon Valley, and the exciting posts, information, interviews, stories, and more that we share here! We'd love to gain a greater viewer following, so we can expand more! After all, the more people we can share stories with and connect with, the better! I'm ever so grateful to all my weekly readers, especially my original fourteen readers, you are now  part of the lucky 650+ visitors!! But we could do better, my goal is to have at least 1K! Did you know that the practice of using the letter "K" to represent thousands, like many of our practices comes from Greece. Particularly, it comes form the Greek word, "kilo," which means one thousand, hence kilograms, anyways it became adopted along with the standardization of the metric system (so around the late 18th century) when the French established prefixes like "kilo," to denote measurements like kilometers and kilograms. So basically, "K" is a shortened form of kilo, meaning a thousand units. But anyways, straying away from my tangent, my point is let's reach for the stars and hit 1K readers/visitors. Those of you who have been reading my blog posts know what I mean, by "Reach for the Stars!" And if you don't, be sure to check out my previous blog posts! :) 

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Author's Note: So my last, blog post talked about phobias and how many people face gerascrophobia, a fear of growing up. Well that fear can SOMETIMES be linked with teen suicide. Over the past few years, there has been an alarming rate of teenage suicide numbers, and that just breaks my heart, more than anything. This summer I was so shocked to hear about teenage girl, Aubreigh Wyatt's death. A girl my age, a girl who liked music, a girl in my grade, a girl just like me. It's not fair that so many teenagers are dying because they can't handle their social lives, peer pressure, academic pressure, or just pressure in general. We are too young to feel this depressed, and this isn't right. So this poem is a tribute to her and all the other young teenagers who lost their lives because they didn't that their lives were worth enough to keep living. 

Author Bio:

I was inspired to write this poem, before the start of the school year. I read about the stories of teenage girls who lost their lives to suicide. What shocked me was that these girls weren’t in their late teens. These girls were thirteen and fourteen–my age. These girls were people–just like me. They had a family, friends, and school–just like me. Their stories deserve to be remembered. 

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Google Search: Teen Suicide Attempts Statistics

22% of high schoolers. 

30% of those high schoolers are girls.

Just Like Me

A small number to most, but too large a number to be true. 

Even more attempts have been made, but these have passed. 

The stories of kids not saved. 

A year ago,

 A fourteen-year-old took her life–she was bullied. 

Fourteen–just like me. 

An eighth grader, who hated homework–just like me.

Society becoming more and more complex,

Kids struggling to keep up.

It's hard–they want to give up–just like me.

The difference? 

I have people – people, I can talk to. 

They never had any. 

Those kids could’ve been my friends. 

They deserved someone to listen to them. 

Their lives could've been saved–that’s the worst part. 

Yet, they were–just like me.

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Hey Guys! I know that set kind of a melancholy mood for this week, and my apologies, but this is a message we need to pass on. It's truly not right, that so many teenagers throw away their lives because they feel as if they have no other option. So if you or anyone else is struggling, don't hesitate to reach out to me or anyone, who you trust. I'm here for you. 

Here's the comment prompt:

1) I know that was sad and that may have been hard for some of you. If you need anyone or anything, just remember, I'm here for you :) 
If you want to share your thoughts (if you feel comfortable) do not hesitate at all, to share your thoughts in the comments or in the CONTACT US! Page. All I ask, is however angry or sad you're feeling that you remain writing your thoughts, appropriately. 

2) Any advice or feedback to make this more heartfelt? Do you have a piece where you reflected your thoughts, that you'd be comfortable sharing. If you'd like I can take a look at it for you, I'm here for you :) 

3) Remember to check in with our other blog posts that call for action items (our last post), in case you want to take your mind off this topic. 

https://free-5178417.webadorsite.com/blog/2343784_week-26

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P.S-If you want to check this piece of writing on other writing platforms, feel free to read it on my Young Writers' Project Blog & My Medium Blog! 

Young Writers' Project: https://youngwritersproject.org/explore/writing/just-me-1

Medium: https://medium.com/@shivali.patra/just-like-me-ac90432e9606

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~IM HERE FOR YOU GUYS!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~