(no subject)
I'm watching the MTV show, "If You Really Knew Me," and I'll admit, I love this show. Maybe it's because I'm a teacher and I see glimpses of what students are really dealing with in their life, and see how they keep it from each other, put up fronts. Or maybe it's because I always felt misunderstood when I was in school. If you haven't seen the show, they go around to different high schools, and have something called "Challenge Day", and there's a bunch of different activities, but it's based around them getting in small groups and finishing the sentence, "If you really knew me...". They focus on a few different students, from different groups/labels, but basically everybody sees that they have a lot in common with people they never thought they would, and they get to see what everyone is dealing with in their lives, and understand them better/become closer. It breaks down barriers.
Something one person said reminded me of this time in 9th grade, my first day back to school after my grandma died. We were playing volleyball in gym class, and it was honestly the last place I wanted to be. I was really distracted/out of it, not really doing too much or really contributing to my team. People on my team were getting mad at me. One girl (I can't even remember who, but I think it might have been the girl who lived across the street from me, who used to be a good friend of mine) was actually yelling at me because I wasn't playing well enough. I didn't even respond, just staring at the ground. (But seriously, it's just a game in gym class, do you need to get that upset?)
Then, when we were walking into the locker room, a girl who I was friendly with, but not actually friends with--I think her name was Brandi--came over and asked me what was up because I didn't seem like myself. I told her my grandmother had just died, and I started to cry a little. And this girl, who could have just said she was sorry to hear that and keep going, because I wasn't really her friend, she had no obligation to take care of me, she stopped and hugged me and just held me for a few minutes while I cried.
Remembering this years later, and tearing up over how great that was of her, and how much it meant to me, I felt the need to honor her and her actions. I want to be that kind of person. I want everyone to be that kind of person.
Something one person said reminded me of this time in 9th grade, my first day back to school after my grandma died. We were playing volleyball in gym class, and it was honestly the last place I wanted to be. I was really distracted/out of it, not really doing too much or really contributing to my team. People on my team were getting mad at me. One girl (I can't even remember who, but I think it might have been the girl who lived across the street from me, who used to be a good friend of mine) was actually yelling at me because I wasn't playing well enough. I didn't even respond, just staring at the ground. (But seriously, it's just a game in gym class, do you need to get that upset?)
Then, when we were walking into the locker room, a girl who I was friendly with, but not actually friends with--I think her name was Brandi--came over and asked me what was up because I didn't seem like myself. I told her my grandmother had just died, and I started to cry a little. And this girl, who could have just said she was sorry to hear that and keep going, because I wasn't really her friend, she had no obligation to take care of me, she stopped and hugged me and just held me for a few minutes while I cried.
Remembering this years later, and tearing up over how great that was of her, and how much it meant to me, I felt the need to honor her and her actions. I want to be that kind of person. I want everyone to be that kind of person.