Look at each of those sad, lonely girls on this graphic. You will see the same flat-ironed hair, too much eyeliner, tough expressions, and "unusual" camera angles they use to give themselves the desired look of [mysterious, forlorn, or sexy]...or all three.
Yes, I also realize that most of these girls range in age from 13-17, and have yet to figure out who they really are.I know so many people who are guilty of this, and it makes me want to scream, "WHEN YOU LEAVE HIGH SCHOOL, NOBODY'S GONNA CARE!!!!"
In fact, even when you're in high school, it isn't such a bad thing to be yourself. Being someone else, or being "EVERYONE" else is just delaying the inevitability of what we all eventually have to do: Find ourselves.
When I was still living back in Grand Forks, I would notice people I graduated with at the bar. At first, seeing those people rendered the same feelings I felt back then. They were everyone, and in a very obvious way, I was NOT "one of them". I see them and automatically feel out of place. I retreat. I get nervous. If only for a split second, I am 16 again. You see, They are still the same. They were too scared to leave their bubble and experience life outside of it. Eight years later, the skanky girl is still skanky, tossing the kids at mom's house every weekend so she can put magenta lipstick and leggings and go home with the drunk pervy hockey player after Ladies' night. The drunk pervy hockey player is still drunk and pervy, and the wanna-be is still chasing after them, still getting made fun of, and trying to "fit in" to no avail.
Perv hits on me, Skank apologizes for being mean and/or ignoring me, and wannabe turns up her nose at me because she is still absent enough upstairs to think it's still 1997.
They ask me what I've been doing, bla bla bla. I tell them. I look happy. And I smile.
This is a part of my life I never have to relive. And the people I thought really mattered: They're still living my nightmare!
When high school ends, when college ends, think of it as an ending, not a beginning. And be yourself. Junior high and high school are the only places I've ever seen where people are ridiculed and alienated for being themselves. Your real friends will see the fantastic person inside of you, and love you no matter how you style your hair, they love you whether or not your leggings are too tight. They don't care if you're wearing a bad scrunchie.
To the girls on that graphic, and all the other girls antagonizing other girls, sexing-up their outfits, and trying so desperately to "fit in" by acting like they don't "fit in
":Fuck'm. Spend one day doing something YOU want to do. Don't call yourself a "dork", DON'T think about how you need a boyfriend, how you need a car, how you need these boots and that cell phone. Call your best friend. Put on your ugliest clothes and laugh at eachother... Take stupid pictures. Draw, paint, write. DANCE. Sincerely compliment each other. Make fun of each other. Be real. Don't go onto myspace and talk shit about your friends. Don't listen you your Emo music and talk about how much life sucks.Nobody should ever be afraid to be themselves, and you may not realize this now: But you are your own biggest critic. Those who laugh at you, are just finding a way not to cry about themselves.
And life is too short to cry about yourself.
In fact, even when you're in high school, it isn't such a bad thing to be yourself. Being someone else, or being "EVERYONE" else is just delaying the inevitability of what we all eventually have to do: Find ourselves.
When I was still living back in Grand Forks, I would notice people I graduated with at the bar. At first, seeing those people rendered the same feelings I felt back then. They were everyone, and in a very obvious way, I was NOT "one of them". I see them and automatically feel out of place. I retreat. I get nervous. If only for a split second, I am 16 again. You see, They are still the same. They were too scared to leave their bubble and experience life outside of it. Eight years later, the skanky girl is still skanky, tossing the kids at mom's house every weekend so she can put magenta lipstick and leggings and go home with the drunk pervy hockey player after Ladies' night. The drunk pervy hockey player is still drunk and pervy, and the wanna-be is still chasing after them, still getting made fun of, and trying to "fit in" to no avail.
Perv hits on me, Skank apologizes for being mean and/or ignoring me, and wannabe turns up her nose at me because she is still absent enough upstairs to think it's still 1997.
They ask me what I've been doing, bla bla bla. I tell them. I look happy. And I smile.
This is a part of my life I never have to relive. And the people I thought really mattered: They're still living my nightmare!
When high school ends, when college ends, think of it as an ending, not a beginning. And be yourself. Junior high and high school are the only places I've ever seen where people are ridiculed and alienated for being themselves. Your real friends will see the fantastic person inside of you, and love you no matter how you style your hair, they love you whether or not your leggings are too tight. They don't care if you're wearing a bad scrunchie.
To the girls on that graphic, and all the other girls antagonizing other girls, sexing-up their outfits, and trying so desperately to "fit in" by acting like they don't "fit in
":Fuck'm. Spend one day doing something YOU want to do. Don't call yourself a "dork", DON'T think about how you need a boyfriend, how you need a car, how you need these boots and that cell phone. Call your best friend. Put on your ugliest clothes and laugh at eachother... Take stupid pictures. Draw, paint, write. DANCE. Sincerely compliment each other. Make fun of each other. Be real. Don't go onto myspace and talk shit about your friends. Don't listen you your Emo music and talk about how much life sucks.Nobody should ever be afraid to be themselves, and you may not realize this now: But you are your own biggest critic. Those who laugh at you, are just finding a way not to cry about themselves.And life is too short to cry about yourself.
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