Friday, May 7, 2010

Soaring on Air



One of the greatest feelings in the world is being thanked for something. It doesn't have to be a big or extravagant event to warrant a thank you, but it always feels good knowing that someone somewhere benefited from what you did.

Lately there's been a lot of Facebook drama within Verot, and normally I wouldn't care, but since it's my summer and I literally have nothing to do, I just sit on Facebook refreshing the page. From where I stood, it was a bunch of senior girls talking about a sophmore girl, and that alone struck a chord in me.

These senior girls were from Verot, which praises all that is Catholic and Salesian, first of all, but most importantly, they are seniors. Why are seniors that are supposed to be setting a good example as young adults about to embark to college acting like they are in middle school? I don't get it. It's almost understandable when you're a sophomore/freshmen to participate in stupid shit, but seniors are supposed to be mature and not stoop to such childish tactics like posting Facebook statuses calling someone out.

What makes this matter also important to me, was the fact that the sophomore in question was one of the girls in my freshmen retreat group when I was a leader. That basically sealed the deal, because I would normally be too scared to say anything to anyone about how they act. The girl may or may not have done something wrong, but the point of the matter is that seniors shouldn't be acting like little girls and should be acting like young women.

So I said something on the ringleader's status, along the lines of "This is kinda childish and immature, don't you think?" I don't know what response I wanted from what I said, but it felt good to stand up for something when I felt like no one else would. Everyone else was praising the girl for tearing another apart, and I don't see the glory in that, I really don't. Once the girl got out of school she commented back with an immature response, but like I said I didn't know what type of reaction I was expecting or looking for in the first place.

But what really got to me and what really made me proud happened later that night. I was still on Facebook and I noticed that I received a message. I thought it was from Ricky because he was being a dork and decided to message me while texting me, but it wasn't from him. It was from someone I've never talked to before and someone I don't really know from Verot. The sender thanked me for what I said and really appreciated that I stood up to someone who intimidates others into not speaking out. I'm not gonna lie, in that split second I felt like a superhero saving people with one sentence at a time.

Superheroes aren't necessarily born with super powers like agility, flight, web-slinging; superheroes are made when they will stand up for what they believe in when no one else around them will.

So yeah, I kinda need to work on the whole "meek and humble" aspect when it comes to my accomplishments, but I'd like to think I'm not bragging so much as just saying that standing up for others should occur way more often than it does =)

"Stand up to your obstacles and do something about them. You will find that they have half the strength you think they have." (Vincent Peale)

2 comments:

  1. Jessica you are a superhero! And one of our girls? :( how could anyone say anything about anyone of those sweet girls. :(

    ReplyDelete
  2. my thoughts exactly! but yes, it was about one of our little chicks =(

    ReplyDelete