Everybody likes giving advice, but not many people actually really listen to it.

One person may ask “what do you think of this shirt?” or “what do you think I should do?” But then they go and do the complete opposite.

It is nice to get other people’s opinions, but if it isn’t what you wanted to hear then you may just stop paying attention and might even stop going to that person for advice. This can be unfortunate because friends, teachers, parents, or whomever you ask are usually full of tons of good advice depending on what you are asking about.

You can learn something new and maybe see a side that you hadn’t seen before. Listening to other people’s opinions and ideas, especially when you asked for them, is a great way to learn and help you make tough decisions.

Then again, this is just my opinion.

I personally love learning. I find learning new facts, concepts, and ideas fascinating. It seems to me that everybody should always be willing to learn and think.

No matter what age, no matter how long you’ve been in school – whether it is five years or twenty – I think people should always be willing to learn more because, the truth is, we’ll never know everything.

There is so much information available to us and for someone to just say they dislike learning gets on my nerves. There has to be something that interests you so much that you actually want to learn about it.

Why would somebody not want to learn all that they possibly can? With all the information out there, we should take every chance we get to learn all that we can.

Start with what interests you and then branch off from that. Soon you’ll be learning about things that you never knew existed.

I encourage everyone to become a lover of learning and always be willing to learn new things because, without that willingness, you won’t get very far in life.

A strike in Philadelphia has been going on since November 3, creating problems for commuters trying to get work.

Buses and subways were not in use due to the strike, causing commuters to have to find another way to get to work by either walking, carpooling, biking, or even calling a cab.

Transport Workers Union Local 234 went on strike at 3 a.m. because they did not receive the pay raise they wanted.

The workers had asked for an annual raise of 4 percent, and they also wished to keep the 1 percent of pay that employees contributed toward the cost of their health care coverage.

Local 234 union representatives walked out of a negotiation talk on November 2 and called for the strike to begin at 3 a.m. the following morning.

I personally do not understand how an entire union can just walk out and no longer be willing to negotiate when the buses and subway trains they drive are needed everyday by the public.

In a time such as this where people are losing their jobs they rely heavily on public transportation to get to and from work. The buses and subs are needed and, without them being available to the public, it is extremely difficult for people to get to work on time.

Yes, negotiations had been going on for awhile, but they should not have walked out. The union representatives should have continued to negotiate until they had finally reached an agreement everyone would be happy with.

It might have taken longer than wanted, but at least it would not have caused problems with the general public who did nothing wrong.

I am hoping that things are decided quickly so that commuters are no longer put in a difficult position of trying to figure out how they are getting to and from work.

Flight 188 overflew its intended destination, the Minneapolis – St. Paul International/ Wold-Chamberlain Airport, on October 21 by 150 miles.

This mishap was not due to the pilots falling asleep, as originally assumed when this story was first reported, but due to “cockpit distraction.” The pilots were using personal laptops while discussing the airline crew flight scheduling, which is strictly prohibited by company policy.

What I don’t understand is how anybody can be so irresponsible as to not pay attention to their job for over an hour. These pilots had a job to do; safely fly 144 passengers, 3 flight attendants, and themselves to the Minneapolis airport.

The pilots knew and understood that personal laptops were not permitted to be used, and yet they used them anyway. They let themselves get distracted and not pay attention to what was going on or where they were going.

There is no excuse for that.

The FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) revoked the licenses of the pilots on October 27, and I am glad they did.

These pilots have been flying for over ten years, and there is no excuse for why they should have missed their target destination.

Hopefully this will set an example for other pilots to pay attention to their job no matter how long they have been doing it.

Every year, right around the same time, I notice a change in the air.

It’s colder, it’s crisper. It’s fall.

I love seeing the leaves change colors, from their usual greens to beautiful reds, yellows, and browns.

I find myself looking around more often, noticing all the Halloween decorations, pumpkins, and leave piles. It’s fall, and it’s beautiful to me.

Seeing all the scarecrows around Middletown and all the town pride makes me happy.

Now, some may be winter people, some may be summer people, and some may even be spring people, but I am a fall person.

The leaves changing colors, the jack-o-lanterns, Halloween, apple cider, and the coolness in the air this is fall,  are the reasons I love fall.

I’m sure everyone has heard the expression “stop and smell the roses,” but I doubt anybody really does. I know I sometimes don’t, but what I do try to do is remember to find the beauty in life.

It might not be stopping to smell a rose, but I love watching sunrises. I like watching the sky light up with so many different colors.

I have found my own way of “stopping to smell the roses.” I suggest that everyone tries to do the same.

Find you own version of “stop and smell the roses,” whether it be taking a walk and seeing everything that is all around you, watching a sunrise or sunset, or laying outside at night and looking at the stars.

Find something that reminds you of how beautiful life is. Find something, anything that makes you appreciate life.

On a rough day, just stop and look around you to see if you can find something that can make you laugh or smile. It might not even be anything in nature; it might just be a good friend that you know is always there for you.

You need to have something in your life that is a reminder of how beautiful life really is. So stop and smell the roses, and slow down your life for once.

Life is all about choices. That is basically what life is: a series of choices, one right after another.

All of them making up the story of your life, making up who you are.

There are simple choices and decisions, and there are difficult ones. The decisions and choices you make are important - every single one of them.

Have you ever thought back to a situation and wondered what would have happened if you had done something differently? If, instead of going out that night, you had stayed home and studied?

If, instead of getting into an argument with your parents, you had stayed calm and had a nice conversation with them instead?

These choices can seem insignificant depending on the situation, but other times they can make all the difference.  Deciding between helping someone and looking the other way, pretending as if you don’t see them.  So here I am, trying to remind you to stop and think.

Consider your options and choose the best one. Remember every decision and choice is important and makes a difference, not only in your life, but in others as well.