When I was young I had a pretty bad experience in my early elementary years. First day of Kindergarten I made my first friend at school, and that’s the beginning of everything, my earliest memories of school. She was a girl in my class, who would severely bully me. She wouldn’t let me speak to other people and if I did she would scream and swear in my face. She would say really terrible things about my family that I probably should not repeat, my mom even called her a stalker. It got so bad to the point where at the age of 8 I would have panic attacks every morning before school. Back then I was really young and I didn’t know how to stand up for myself so I would just let it happen. This went on for 5 years (K-5). After that experience I had not really had a bad friend until grade 10, I became friends with this one boy, I am just going to call him Carter. Carter and I became close very quickly to the point that we would talk everyday, all day and he knew every little detail about me. He was my biggest supporter especially when I went through my first heartbreak, he always managed to cheer me up and boost my confidence. He was always there for me to talk about anything. It honestly was great for a while, I even became close with his other friends and he became close with some of mine and we were a big friend group. We all went out together many times to different places, hung out at eachothers houses and it was super fun honestly. Unfortunately that didn’t last for long, Carter started to change. His ego grew very large to the point it was insufferable to be around. He also started to put us girls down so much and so often, for example “as a joke” he would literally tell me to kill myself so frequent that it would make me cry every night. He would make comments on my appearance, my interests, my personality. It was quite damaging to my self esteem, especially for a friend to say that everyday. He overall just acted like him and the other boys were just more important and above us girls and it really pissed me off. The other boys too would just sit there and do nothing to help us. They knew what was going on but they would just support Carter. When I started dating my boyfriend, I was still friends with them and they genuinely bullied him, calling him physically abusive to his face (which was a lie they literally just made up), making fun of the way he looks, calling him mean nicknames. To the point it made me so angry I hung out with them less, it mainly really was just Carter that was the meanest but they all supported him as usual. They all just worshiped him like he was this god or something and then all the boys just ghosted all the girls. I must say I do miss Carter from time to time but without him in my life it was as if this huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders. Soon after that they found some new editions to their friend group and what other people would tell me is that they told their new friends that we girls did something so unforgivable and so awful to the point that they couldn’t be around us anymore. The thing is though, he never said why, never said what we allegedly did. Those boys are still friends currently, they will laugh at me on the bus, give me death stares in the halls, two of them even sent me a lovely candy cane gram saying “I miss you” on it:) and they all just refuse to talk to make amends, it's just silence. The worst thing though, one of the boys did something so gross and everyone knew it was wrong and they still supported him, said gross things about women in support of him and just made me lose any tiny amount of respect I had left. To some, this may all just be petty drama, which it is but honestly it has taught me so much about the kind of people I choose to be around, before I would let people walk all over me and I would give chance after chance until it would completely drain me. Even if you have been friends with someone for a while isn’t a good enough reason to stay their friend if they treat you badly. No one deserves to be treated badly by a friend or a significant other especially if all you did was care for them. I have learned from my mistakes and I hope in the future I will not encounter something like that again.
Sarah.S
13 Comments
How important is traveling really in our lives? And what benefits do we get from it? We all dream of seeing the entire world and visiting as many places and getting to know cultures as we can, right? Traveling gets associated with trying new things, exploring foreign countries and also finding out new things about ourselves. It doesn’t matter if it means to hop on an airplane and fly away or to get in the car and drive to a place which is nearby. Both mean that we made the decision to step out of our comfort zone, the environment which we are familiar with, and to give ourselves a chance to experience something new. It is proven that traveling affects our mental health in a positive way. Being home is not a bad thing but it also means either working or going to school or both, which causes a lot of stress for many of us and we don’t really have time to rest. That is excactly why traveling is so important. It gives us the opportunity to forget a lot of things that are going on and the chance to take a break from our daily lives.We all have different preferences and imaginations about what a perfect vacation may look like. Whether it’s a beach vacation, a nature hike or a city tour, there are many ways to recharge our “batteries” and just chill. Another important benefit is as I mentioned before, we encourage ourselves to leave our comfort zone and jump into something completely new. Traveling can promote our personal development as a human being, by facing new challenges and getting involved in unfamiliar situations. A very few countries don’t have sufficient English language skills, which makes it hard to communicate with those people, even if it’s just asking for directions or whatever. We also might be not familiar with the unknown food which can lead to stomach problems. But all these things help us to improve and develop as a person, by facing and solving challenges. Traveling also gives us an opportunity to make friends all over the world. By getting together with other travelers or locals we are able to build new friendships and strengthen our own communication skills. It can help to deepen our understanding of other cultures and lifestyles and by visiting different places and interacting with the people there, we can expand our perspectives or get to know new ones. A lot of people argue that traveling is expensive but that really depends how we are planning to travel. There are many options, like staying in a cheaper hotel, avoiding the peak season and places that are very touristy and the goal is to make it as easy as possible. I have some friends that did interrail in europe after their graduation and traveling by train is in comparison to a plane super cheap. All I want to say with that is, yes traveling can be really expensive but it’s really up to us and how we want to experience and organize our trip. Traveling is a huge and very important part of my life. As long as I can remember my parents showed me a lot of different places in the world. For me it means spending time with my family and friends, meeting new people, trying new food and it's a great opportunity to just take a break from my daily routine and my usual environment. I associate traveling with going skiing in Austria, visiting different countries in Europe which are fortunately all very close to me or flying to other continents. I went to Thailand two years ago which was the furthest I’ve ever been away from home but it was unbelievable. Also being here in Canada right now was a big step but I’m so grateful that my parents gave me the opportunity to be here and I would definitely recommend to everyone to go abroad at some point in their lives. We all should be thankful to have opportunities to travel and see new things and even though it is nice being far away from home it is often a good feeling when we know we are actually home again if that makes sense. To end this thing I found a quote which basically summarizes this entire blog.
“Traveling takes us back to ourselves” Merle Success, to me, has always been akin to an achievement earned through perseverance and resilience. While the path toward the goal is often challenging, the gratifying sense of accomplishment makes every effort worthwhile. Key steps toward success include meticulous planning, diligent execution, and the ability to navigate through unexpected obstacles. Growing up in an academic household as an international student, I harboured a dream of attending a prestigious university. Despite encountering significant setbacks, such as the upheaval caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, changes in school systems and mandatory graduate courses, and enduring serious injuries, I remained steadfast in my pursuit. One notable setback occurred in grade 10 when I sustained a severe second/third degree burn, which drastically limited my physical abilities. Despite the series of hospital visits and sleepless nights due to excruciating pain, I managed to maintain my academic performance. During my struggle with depression and self-isolation from friends, I was allowed to go to a concert. For the first time since the injury, I was able to find solace in the anticipation of attending my very first concert, which was going to be performed by my favourite artist. I spent the days leading up to the concert diligently with happiness. I had an amazing time at the concert, and after it ended, I realized that I was still completely capable of setting a goal and being motivated by it, despite my physical limitations. This experience served as a turning point, reminding me of the importance of focusing on my goals rather than dwelling on setbacks. From that point, I started becoming more aware of my surroundings and recognized all the people around me that were willing to help. Acknowledging the support of those who stood by me during my struggles, despite my initial resistance, played a pivotal role in my journey. Accepting their encouragement and assistance, I gradually regained my footing and approached grade 11 with renewed determination. Now in grade 12, I am proud to have received acceptance letters from several of my priority schools, along with scholarships. This achievement serves as a testament to the hard work and resilience I have demonstrated throughout my journey.In retrospect, I've come to realize that success is not merely about reaching a goal, but also about the journey undertaken to achieve it. Setting motivating goals, mindful planning, resilience in the face of challenges, and the ability to reflect on past actions are all integral to the process. Furthermore, remaining open to criticism and accepting help from others are crucial factors that contribute to eventual success.
In conclusion, success is a multi-faceted journey that requires dedication, resilience, and adaptability. By embracing these principles and persevering in the face of adversity, one can overcome any obstacle and achieve their goals. Sunsia |
Categories
|