Sometimes I am so ashamed to be in the same catagory as a "teenager". Society has set our bar and standards so low. They don't think we are capable of being anything more than lazy or irresponsible or arrogant.
I have met plenty of teens who fit this describtion, but I have also met SO many who are really working towards raising the bar and not staying in this comfortable zone that society has placed us in.
I just had a conversation with a kid and we were talking about all the changes happening in our school, just with teachers leaving and how we don't seem to have as much freedom as we used to. He said something like "This school is going to be hell..."
I said, "Well, it'll only be hell if we allow it. I'm more concerned about the lack of love in our school. I can't wait for the day when I just see students loving an accepting one another. I hope to start/be apart of that movement..."
His response was, "Don't expect it to happen anytime soon."
But why? Why can't that be the reality? Why do we have such little faith in ourselves and in God and what He is capable of?
God could just snap his fingers and in a second the world would be perfect and love would just occur in my school. But I LOVE the fact that he lets it up to us to start that movement ourselves! He doesn't need us! But He chooses to use us...even us teenagers.
If God has that much faith in us, then why don't we do anything? Why do we walk in our hallways and when we see someone getting picked on, we just ignore it, or in worst cases, we join in? Why do we let people eat lunch alone? Why do we make people feel bad? Because it's cool? Because it'll score you "points" with your buddies?
At the end of the day, is it really worth it?
I'm so tired of going to school and seeing that everyone is the SAME, ya know what I mean?
It's like, we all shop at the same places and do the same things and tell the same jokes and so on and so on.
It's so refreshing when I just meet an individual. Someone who is living life. Someone who can just BE.
Wouldn't just be easier to take off the mask? To finally know who your TRUE friends are?
Because I am sure the kids you pick on everyday, would be a much better friend to you than the people you call your "best friends" now.
I have the greatest friends in the world, because they accept me. I don't have to wear certain clothes or do certain things to win their approval...they just love me for who I am. And I thank them for that.
I'm not using this to rag on anyone or to tell people that their friends suck, but I just want you to think. Think about the life you are living. Think about the low expectations that have been made for you and think about how you can raise them.
Make teenagers into something more than what society thinks we are.
What if we just loved one another?
What if we were who God CALLED us to be?
What if we just accepted ourselves and each other?
"How much of our pain comes from not being able to answer 'Who are you?'"
Just be. Raise the standards. LOVE ONE ANOTHER! Please. Think of the movement...
Love always wins.
Peace
Liz
About Me
- Liz
- God has consumed my heart with a passion and a love for people. I'm not going to ignore it...no matter what kind of discouragement and hardships I face in pursuing that passion. God defines me and I will not compromise who I am. I hope that this blog can provide even just a little bit of hope to whoever reads it. And I'm always up for a good conversation and some coffee...call me!
3 comments:
I agree,
completely with this.
I remember talking with my friend about it, and it's weird, how we don't find the same pleasures, in making fun of people, and getting wasted, vandalizing, and putting teachers through hell.
Maybe many give up, because they think, that is who they're made to be. I mean, society has pretty much labelled us till the day we become teenagers, right? So maybe alot of people feel: what's the point in trying to prove them wrong?
I hate it when I go somewhere and get grouped into the teen category before i even open my mouth. If the category didnt carry so much baggage i wouldnt care but just knowing that people think i dont care about them or that i'm incapable of things or thinks i'm irresponsible it angers me cause i'm not. Again it would be different if i was but i'm not. People always question why at resturants i ask the waitors/waitresses for their names and make jokes with them and try to make them laugh. I'm just trying to show them that teens can be caring people who respect them, appreciate them and treat them like a person and know how to tip cause you know the moment they see teens they automatically get this negative stigma in their head. I think this movement starts with us just being aware of how we are being percieved and changing those perceptions. If we know that we are being known for being arrogant lets show them humbleness. If we know that we are known for being selfish lets show them care. If we know we are being known for being lazy lets show them ambition and drive. It we are being known for being maniquins lets show them the real us and take off the mask. If we are aware we are known for being hateful lets show them our love. The only reason teens have this stereotype is because teens created it. And the only reason things havent changed is because we refuse to believe that they can.
Good stuff, Kyle.
I agree whole-heartedly.
And I know what you are talking about, with being grouped in the teen catacory before you open your mouth. I think being a teenager has nothing to do with your age...but everything to do with how you act.
I just walk around my school and I see some teens do things and I just think "Wow, thanks a lot for making our group even less respeted."
But everytime they do that, that just means we have to try that much harder to prove that stereotype wrong.
I mean, even starting with a simple "Thank you!" for crying out loud!!!!!
People underestimate the power of a genuine smile and good manners...
Post a Comment