# data[].attributes.body
Something that I have learned about this semester is how to balance my mental health with work. This is a huge struggle I have been enduring all semester but mental health is always a work in progress but I am really proud of how far I have come in the past three months. Mental health issues are also not always as apparent as they seem, it can come in phases, habits, and trouble with memory. Recently I have been having trouble remembering the time and forgetting weeks as well as what happened. This is something that typically messes with my schoolwork as well. As I forget weeks, I also lose motivation and forget my responsibilities. As I grew up my parents were afraid to get my mental problems diagnosed or treated, because it makes them feel like they did not do enough, but I feel that it is better for children to get treated at a earlier age so they understand why they can not focus or feel different, rather than blame it on themselves. I have always grown with a difficulty of finishing tasks or keeping focused, that was quickly brushed off as me being lazy. In reality, it was an untreated attention condition.

# data[].attributes.body
Recently I found myself having a great deal of trouble empathizing with a family member who contracted Covid 19 and dealt with a bad reaction, but still to this day continues denying the severity of the virus. Almost every time I try to talk to this family member all they know how to do is spew out propaganda, which is extremely frustrating if they disregard the severity of a virus and refuse to do research. They also refused to remain safe and did not wear a mask throughout the pandemic. I personally find it difficult to empathize with people who dealt with a problem first hand but still are ignorant and put other people's lives at risk. Overall, all I can do is avoid this family member to keep myself safe.

# data[].attributes.body
Communication is a key aspect of forming and maintaining all sorts of relationships. We are constantly learning and evolving in our social skills and understanding how we effect others. Communication is a huge way for us to grow and understand other people's perspectives better. A way that we fail when communicating is not fully listening and comprehending what the other person is saying. You can not have a meaningful conversation if you are not open to understanding what the other person is saying as well. Another point is making sure that when you are communicating you are also recognizing and thinking about the words you want to say. Sometimes a huge part of miscommunication is not fully meaning what you say, a great way to work around this is by repeating what your partner says to you. For example a great way to do it is by asking "what did you mean when you said "this."' OR "So what you are saying is "this."'

# data[].attributes.body
This past week's topic of gender inequality and ways to combat different forms of discrimination has been super informative. Especially when writing my essay it has helped me personally learn more about this topic. I feel like more people should do research or at least access the sources that we have been collectively using because discrimination should be combatted with educating people and actual solutions. I have begun my essay on the topic of how men do not take women's hobbies as seriously and how we are not given the same treatment as men in sports or other areas. This is something that is generally overlooked and never taken seriously.

# data[].attributes.body
Something that I have been voicing for a while is how women's interests and hobbies are not taken seriously by men. When women seem to be interested in something such as gaming, astrology, or sports men always find a way to make fun of them for it. For example, when women are interested in astrology men tell them that it is stupid or not true, when in reality women are just trying to have fun. Or another struggle that I have seen first hand and listened to my girl friends talk about is how when they are in a match men always tell them they aren't good or suck at gaming. There is no weight behind this claim because women can be just as good as men at games, they just want to be sexist and make women feel bad for having hobbies.

# data[].attributes.body
When taking composition classes I love having creative outlets and a place to express my ideas. This is super easy to do when taking an online course and I am glad that our class has made a great transition to the virtual classroom. My favorite outlet that we have is the padlet option because it feels like a great place for us to convey our thoughts and respond to prompts, like this. Weekly check-ins where we can share our blogs are nice as well because I enjoy interacting with my peers and their blogs. For a past English class we also did the blog outlet but ours was more of a newsletter/ journaling form of layout which was super fun to use. Overall I really enjoy having a space to express my ideas as well as check out my peer's ideas.

# data[].attributes.body
The American education needs to improve it's improper education towards children of color as well as paying teachers and staff a higher wage. These are two topics that are heavily discussed but have not been improved yet. For example, students in lower income areas do not receive the same education due to not having the same learning tools, preparation, and environment. This is due to funding being solely based off of the taxes in the area of the school. It os also important to note that lower income areas are disproportionately populated by minorities. Teachers do not get proper pay or funding for their students. Most teachers need to provide products and tools used in their classroom by themselves, and they do not make enough per year to be able to afford that either. Overall America needs to provide more funding and money towards education.

# data[].attributes.body
Olga Khazan is a writer that works under the journalizing company, The Atlantic. Khazan has also written for The Los Angeles Times and many more big publication industries. She is well known for writing the novel Weird as well. Olga Khazan is also a Russian Immigrant and explains her experiences in her novel Weird. Her love for writing and journalism derives from her trying to learn why she always has "imposter syndrome" and social anxiety. She also explains how this comes from her being and immigrant and struggling to integrate herself into society. It is inspirational to see a young woman who struggles with social anxiety express herself with journaling.

# data[].attributes.headline
Olga Khazan's "Why Don't Convenience Stores Sell Better Food?"

# data[].attributes.subject
Olga Khazan's "Why Don't Convenience Stores Sell Better Food?"

# data[].attributes.body
I enjoyed reading through Khazan's article and responding to it through other assignments. It is also a great point that needs to be understood more by people because this was personally my first time hearing about how convenience stores in lower income communities do not provide great food options. Khazan overall explains in her article how healthy food options are not as accessible in lower income convenience stores and how that incomes people in these communities' health. She also used the evidence of how 88% of convenience stores in lower income communities only sell "junk" or processed food. She also points out how when there are fruits or vegetables available they are typically only in a plastic wrap and not properly refrigerated, in comparison to alcoholic and unhealthy beverages which are kept behind bulletproof refrigerated areas. Overall, she made great points regarding the disproportionate options within low income and higher income communities regarding healthier food options.

# data[].attributes.body
Every day we eat a new food, but as human's shouldn't we indulge and enjoy ourselves when eating? I try to make it a routine where I ask myself and try to figure out what the most satisfying food I could eat that day is. I look forward to eating everyday, which is why I encourage others to do the same and ask themselves, "What do I WANT to eat" instead of "What should I eat." A change in mindset and how I viewed food helped my relationship with eating actually be healthier and stronger. Although Fast Food is not the greatest option, it is the most accessible, and shaming others for what they can afford mentally, monetarily, and time wise is inconsiderate. A negative connotation towards people who enjoy eating Fast Food can create an unhealthy relationship with food.