Today I had the pleasure of meeting with a good friend of mine, Caitlin, and we discussed many subjects, as we always do. We talked about deeper things, funny things, annoying things, etc. One of the topics that stuck to me and left me thinking about life was when we talked about the "good ol' days" as people call them but in some cases the "lost ol' days." We talked about our thought processes in middle school and even early high school and how it has changed drastically over the years. Both she and I (and I'm sure majority of all society) were followers, desperate to be a part of that "popular" label. In the years of puberty arising, as well as acne sprouting, I felt that I was a leader, that I was a unique individual. When I look back now, I wasn't that at all. Sure, I was a leader in many ways and had a unique personality as do many others, however I was so obsessed with being able to be "cool." This mindset definitely led me into some dark places that weren't as "cool" as they were said to be.
It wasn't until junior year when I started to find myself. I ventured out in many paths that ended up defining who I am today. I was led to God, who definitely led me to realizing that He was the real cool one, not the Hollister clothes and parties that surrounded my life. With this new spiritual healing, I was also led to my true love, music as well as several different arts and cultures. This also helped me cross paths with some amazing friends and inspirational figures in my life. I am so thankful for everything.
Why am I giving a testimony you ask? Well, back to the Caitlin and Karlye conversation, it made me think about the new generations coming along, awaiting their new journeys called life. Hearing about certain people and watching them grow worry me. Are the upcoming generations more likely to fall under peer pressure than we were in the past? Are the monsters of bad decisions and negativity going to swallow them all whole? Or am I just not realizing that we were just as bad back then? Either way, I pray and hope that more and more pre-teens and teens will begin to find who they are. Find their true color. Find the clothes that they really like. Find the friends that will really influence them in the right direction and hold them accountable if they slip.
Am I saying that I am done with finding myself and my journey is over? Heck no! I have so much more to discover about myself and the world around me. I am just hoping that the generations that are entering the middle and high school world will soon find themselves one way or another. Our world is a melting pot of endless amounts of faces, skin colors, personalities, likes, dislikes, shoe sizes, builds, desires, loves, and smiles. So why should we conform to a group? We were all made so uniquely and beautifully. We should shine what we have been given and not what we are envious of. Just accept it. You are who you are.
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