STOP
Stop it. Just stop. Stop it with the racist, homophobic, and hurtful comments. Even if you are "just joking" or think of it as something that's just your "point of view" on a topic, it's not in anyway right. Stop. Think. Just think about it. Maybe the person you're talking to may be laughing along but maybe, just maybe, deep inside they are hurting because of your "joke". Stop and think of the consequences of your actions. Stop it with the gossiping about the person you barely know. Stop it with the fake smiles and backstabbing. Don't befriend someone just to learn their deepest secrets and then blab about it to half the school. Stop with the bullying. Even if you don't think of it as bullying. Don't you know you are emotionally scarring someone for the rest of their lives. It's not funny and it's not cool. You are just proving to the world that you are a horrible human being. Do you really want to be the cause of someone's ruined life? Do you want to be the reason someone takes their life? No? Then just stop and be a human being.
LOOK
Look around you. Really look. Look at the man crossing the street. Does he look confident? Maybe he just lost his job. The old lady you see everyday but never said hi to. Maybe she lost her son in the war. See the little girl playing with her friends? Her dad beats her mom every night. All these people, they seem happy right? You never knew their sad stories. And never really bothered to know it 'cause you were satisfied with their outer appearance. You've judged them. Made stories up in your mind about them. Never knowing that they are going through things you thought only happened in movies. Stop and look at the person in front of you. Really look. Do they have bags under their eyes? Maybe it's becuase they were crying all night long because they're scared people won't accept them because of their sexuality. Are they looking sickly or overly thin? Maybe it's because they are puking their brains out after every meal just to drop a dress size. Is that smile a little fake looking? It's not 'cause they don't find you funny. It's because they just don't feel happy anymore. When was the last time you actually looked at someone? Try it sometime. You'll never know what you're going to see.
LISTEN
Listen to someone other than yourself speak. You might learn
something knew. Listen to me or your mom or to the singer singing
her heart out in the middle of the street. Listen and remember. The
stories your grandad tells you about how he met your grandma. Listen to your teacher, all she wants is for you to learn and to have a bright future. Don't hate her if she gave you a bad grade. You probably deserved it. And if not, ask her why. Pay attention to your cousin's tales about his first day in college. Maybe all they want is for someone to care about what they're saying. Listen. You might
realize your sister is somebody completely different from the
person you thought she was. Maybe your bestfriend turns out to be a
complete stranger to you. Even the weird chick might be the coolest person you'll ever meet. Or your next door neighbor might be
suicidal. Tiny little hints that they didn't mean to leave behind about who they truly are. You just might hear it. And you just might save their lives. So take your time. Let them speak for a change. You just might find out that you aren't alone.
So stop, look and listen.
Toodaloo,
Cloudy Skies
