Being Yourself: Discrimination

Being Yourself: Discrimination

Every person has their quirks, some are more evident in daily life than others, and I’m totally okay with everyone’s quirks because no one is the same and have some pretty obvious differences about themselves. I don’t mind at all if someone has a quirk that I think is kinda strange, that’s not the part that bothers me in the slightest. What does bother me is the way they are treated by others just because of that quirk. Say this person is in Band, not the best looking and pretty smart. Automatically, whether we want to or not, many of us automatically discriminate him from yourselves without a conscious effort. It comes so naturally to some that they don’t even think twice about it or think of a reason why we put them aside, they just assume based on appearance.

Once or twice I have caught myself thinking this way and it made me upset how I could even have thoughts in my head so rude and stereotypical to the average teenager. It blows my mind how some people can be so rude and not even care, they put others in a lesser category from themselves just to make themselves feel better than someone else. For instance with the same Band student topic, I was in band my freshman year in high school, I didn’t like the teacher so I quit. During my time in that hell-hole of a class I found that the only thing keeping the students from not plunging a knife right into their chest to end the pain was each other. By the end of Marching Band season we had all become so close we actually found ourselves looking forward to our band classes. The only reason would be because we were beside some of our best friends talking and having a good time. Any horrible class could be changed for me if I had those people right alongside me. They were some of the best people in the world, their personalities far outshined their quirks and I just wish people could see that. As was expected however, I was categorized with the “Band Geeks”, you might as well have had a giant sticker on my forehead that said: “NONE SOCIABLE! NONE JOCK/POPULAR KEEP AWAY! HAS NO LIFE!” and that’s how most people treated me. It’s sad but true. Not everyone treated me that way, but a vast majority of the “well known” students of the high school talked to me like I was dirt. I saw my friends getting treated like that right next to me too. I couldn’t believe the world I lived in, it was the most judgmental, harsh environment I have ever been forced to live in, and no one does anything about it.       

Everyone discriminates so harshly on you and others around you. I say to you, don’t be a part of the problem, but part of the solution. These people cast you into a group of others and then treat you all the same, they never look at the individual merit of the individual person. I challenge you to break out of your social circle and talk to someone who is in a different “group” than you and make them feel welcome. Make them feel wanted by someone other than the ones who they already call friends. Make a new friend. And don’t categorize the people in your life through groups. Because in reality, we all occupy the same earth. That’s good enough for me. Love you all, make peace in the world! Bye J