I'm going to go punch a fucking wall

I don't know what I'm saying or doing anymore. I'm so tired. All I want to do is just sleep. But sleeping has become the easy part, I can now almost fall asleep anywhere at anytime. The hard part is waking up and realizing that I've just wasted time by sleeping; time that could have been spent doing something productive to advance my education, to improve my status in life, to get that coveted college degree, right Mom? Cause "life is about winning," right Mom? Cause I watch 30 minutes of TV for the first time in two months and suddenly I'm a TV addict, right Mom? And that's why I'm spending my spring break either studying or sleeping, nothing else, right Mom? Cause I'm not exactly a full-on disappointment, but an "implied" disappointment, right Mom? I'm 17 years old, a teenager damn it, does that mean anything anymore? I can't lean on my mother for support anymore. I can't tell her anything of value anymore, only how my day went and the change in my grades, and not how I'm really feeling or any type of emotion that a robot cannot imitate. I'm scared that I'm turning into my mother. I have become temperamental, stubborn, and a pain in the ass.

I shall go off on a tangent here cause I am pissed about my mother yelling at me for the above reasons. So Richard Zhang, by this time, you know that you are my most favorite person in the world and you deserve the world. I would give up anything for you: my parents, my accomplishments, my grades, swimming, music, my freedom. For these reasons, here is some advice regarding our parents that I want you to realize:
1. You have to take a step back and think about what you really want in life. If you don't, the days begin to blur together and events become nothing more than fillers. From one grade report to another, from one test to another, everything in between in done in anticipation of what is inevitably in the future. Don't entirely focus on the test or an event that you can anticipate but be open-minded towards the surprises that you will encounter. At some point in your life, you must run around our backyard at 3am in the morning, you must go 25 miles per hour above the speed limit, you must take your shirt off when you're not supposed to, you must do the crazy dare that your crazy friend suggested, you must eat what mom or dad said you shouldn't, you must get drunk and get wasted, you must do the exact opposite of what an authority person says. These are the snippets of your life that you will remember the most.
2. You're not a loser when you lose, contrary to what our parents or anyone else says. Countless times you will feel like you have nothing to live for, but you need time to realize it. Painful, agonizing, seemingly neverending time, but time nonetheless. Doom is not imminent.
3. You should cultivate true friendships because being alone is a terrible way to live. Don't look up to our parents in this aspect, their friends are for a human presence more often true support. Ignore them when they say that you are hanging out with a crowd of friends who are of no use to you, because that is one of the most ignorant things you will ever hear. The rare humans on earth that can truly make me feel happy or alive are my best friends. Look towards those that reach out to you, and make sure that you give as much, if not more, than you take.
4. You can be so accomplished but not really accomplish anything that means something to you. Trophies, big names, and titles can become meaningless. They definitely mean something to our parents but not necessarily to us. Find exactly what it is that gets your mind, heart, and soul going and keep at it.
5. Our parents are not always people we can look up to and we must learn from their mistakes. Don't assume they are always right because you will most likely be wrong. Assume they are wrong, then you will either be right or in for a surprise.
6. If you have a legitimate argument, fight for it. Even though they are our parents, they would rather win a heated argument by playing the "I am your parent and don't you dare talk back to me" card than realize that their offspring is trying to say something of actual weight. And if you want to reply to one of our mother's accusations, I suggest that you prepare yourself, because she will repeatedly say "No, I will not listen to you," while you beg her to hear your side. This is true because this happened 5 minutes ago when you were pretending to read your book about chess that our mother bought you. (Speaking of chess, if you honestly hate it, then just quit and look for a different passion. Otherwise, you're just wasting precious time.)

You are my brother, therefore you are my legacy. I really wish I could be a wonderful example of a sister but I'm not. I know for a fact that you have become more impatient and rude because you are simply following my examples. Your negative traits are partially derived from mine, and believe me when I say that I feel miserably guilty to have influenced you in such a way. I wish I could just make you into the perfect person in the eyes of God, but I am just me.

Dad, I miss you and your unconditional "fatherliness." Please come back from your business trip so you can give me a nice big hug.