The Shoemaker Bugle

All diary entries submitted are from the students of The Shoemaker Bugle. For confidentiality of our personal lives, we’re using code names instead of just the plain “anonymous.” The diaries are for readers to feel less alone and have someone to relate to. 

• Dear Diary, 

  My sleep schedule is off and it irritates me. I go to bed early in the morning and sleep until the sun starts setting. On school days, though, I am probably, at most, getting four hours of sleep. I spend most of my time either sleeping or doing homework. I want to do so much, but it gets dark so fast and I am terrible at managing my time. I have tried teas, a lotion, going to bed earlier, setting aside electronics, but nothing has helped. Even on days where I had better sleep, I am tired.

  – Goob

• Dear Diary,

  I started off the year strong, but at this point I don’t even know where I’m at. The loads of schoolwork, work, and chores I have tire me so much. My back hurts and I feel like just giving up on school. All I keep telling myself is “Christmas Break is almost here.” It doesn’t help that it feels like forever until then, though. There are so many things I want to do, but school just takes all my time away. From the moment I wake up, all I get to do is wash my face, brush my teeth, and sometimes change out my pjs, then stare at a computer screen for the next 6 hours. I eat my breakfast while staring at this screen. It’s the worst. After those 5 hours, I might take a break and go eat again, but then go right back and stare at it again for another 4-6 hours. I just wish there was an option to skip the mandatory sessions. This Friday I sat at my desk for 13 hours straight. I just want winter break to come already. 

  -Squidward 

• Dear Diary, 

  Things are starting to look up for me even though my life is crumbling. I’m highly optimistic, so in the worst of times, I still see a bright side. My grades have gotten even worse. From a fairly average GPA to under a 2.0. I know that I have to work hard to end this semester with passing grades. I went from “It’s my last year, I don’t have to worry about anything,” to “It’s my last year, why not try my best from here on out?”

  Even with a bad sleeping schedule, I started cherishing sleeping late. I stay up past 4 am, the witching hour, enjoying my time. From painting to journaling about my day, I use it to amuse myself. I’m awake longer than others. It’s a weird feeling. It’s dead silent in my house, as if a window is open. I get chills from the cold and I’m able to wrap myself in a blanket because summers in L.A. are deadly and I don’t get to do that often. There’s a bittersweet feeling I get that I’m still young and able to stay up this late. I bet my parents haven’t had an all nighter like these in over a decade.

  -James Dean