Kali Smith
Ider High Shool
Ider, AL
It’s Cool To Be Real
As high school students we see them every Monday through Friday, the star athlete, varsity cheerleading captain, and the doctor’s spoiled son; also known as the “popular” kids. What categories would the kids who are in the band, on the math team and fast food employees fit into? Who really has the right to tell anyone he or she can or can’t be popular?
The football players, cheerleaders, and rich kids may just be arrogant, self-absorbed jerks. No one holds a position to classify the people who march in a band; calculate numbers in their head, and work to provide things for themselves as “un-popular.” It could be that we as a society have our priorities out of order. Being placed into a stereotypical rank shouldn’t be a worry or goal in ones life.
When you’re surrounded by a large number of people everyday, it’s only normal to compare yourself to someone. No two people are identical; which means no matter how bad you’d like to be a copy of that ideal character, it’s never going to happen. By constantly longing to be like someone else and trying to work your way to the top of the popularity ladder, you’re doing two things: waste time ignoring the person you are and admit that you care way too much about what others think of you.
It’s cliché, I know, but instead of dwelling solely on the negative aspects about you, focus on the positive. No one is going to feel sorry for you just because you feel sorry for yourself. Wanting to fit in is one thing; wanting to be something you’re not in order to fit in is another. Be happy you have the right to choose the kind of person you want to be instead of being told.
I said that to say this. If being accepted is so important, learn that it’s better to be accepted for who you really are instead of who you’re not.
Ider High Shool
Ider, AL
It’s Cool To Be Real
As high school students we see them every Monday through Friday, the star athlete, varsity cheerleading captain, and the doctor’s spoiled son; also known as the “popular” kids. What categories would the kids who are in the band, on the math team and fast food employees fit into? Who really has the right to tell anyone he or she can or can’t be popular?
The football players, cheerleaders, and rich kids may just be arrogant, self-absorbed jerks. No one holds a position to classify the people who march in a band; calculate numbers in their head, and work to provide things for themselves as “un-popular.” It could be that we as a society have our priorities out of order. Being placed into a stereotypical rank shouldn’t be a worry or goal in ones life.
When you’re surrounded by a large number of people everyday, it’s only normal to compare yourself to someone. No two people are identical; which means no matter how bad you’d like to be a copy of that ideal character, it’s never going to happen. By constantly longing to be like someone else and trying to work your way to the top of the popularity ladder, you’re doing two things: waste time ignoring the person you are and admit that you care way too much about what others think of you.
It’s cliché, I know, but instead of dwelling solely on the negative aspects about you, focus on the positive. No one is going to feel sorry for you just because you feel sorry for yourself. Wanting to fit in is one thing; wanting to be something you’re not in order to fit in is another. Be happy you have the right to choose the kind of person you want to be instead of being told.
I said that to say this. If being accepted is so important, learn that it’s better to be accepted for who you really are instead of who you’re not.