Hey! College life is great. It is a lot of work, and definitely a struggle, but it is so worth it. But I didn't write this to talk about me. I wrote it to talk to some of you.
Maybe this isn't my place to judge. Maybe it's not my place to talk. But I am tired of seeing it on Facebook. Kids are getting suspended. Kids are into drugs. And having babies.
I read my news feed on Facebook and I see people complaining about school and promoting the legalization of weed all over the place. What happened to playing with dolls or video games?
They are saying how they are going to marry their boyfriend someday, and they are in 7th grade.
I know. I get it. I was there. I thought I was going to marry my first boyfriend too. 7th grade and I was determined to marry him someday. We "dated" for 8 months, if you can even call that dating. We went to a school dance together and hung out at the pool a bunch during the summer. We all hung out at one of my friend's houses to watch movies one time.
The best part about this simple, easy relationship. We didn't kiss until about 6 months in. We didn't say I love you in the first week. We actually didn't say it until month 6 or 7. We didn't say we were going to get married, we just talked about his plans and my plans for the future. Separate plans. We started 8th grade and things had changed. It happens. People grow up.
Can you personally imagine spending the rest of your life with your 7th grade crush?
I am not here to talk about me, because I have made mistakes too. I went through the phase where I didn't like my parents. I have been to the point that I didn't want to go to school, mostly because of the people, never because of the classes.
We live in the United States of America. We are completely privileged beyond anyone's imagination and unless you have traveled outside of the United States, this can be a hard thing to understand.
10 Things a majority of people get in the United States that other countries live without:
1. Constant access to internet and social media.
2. FREE schooling until you are 18.
3. Opportunities to go to college, using grants, student loans and maybe even scholarships.
4. (Many of us) Parent's who don't work jobs that could be life threatening. Jobs that they don't have to spend every waking second at.
5. Worries about eating our next meal and how you are going to get it. (Again, most of us.)
6. Endless job opportunities for both males and females.
7. Being able to drive at 16. (Some countries it is 18 or 21, and even in Iran today, women can't get driver's licenses.
8. The freedom to read the newspaper and anything on the internet.
9. Opportunities to travel and learn more about anything you could possibly want.
10. The pursuit of happiness.
Can you imagine what life would be like without those things? So this is what I really have been wanting to say to the younger generation:
Stop being ungrateful. Appreciate the things you have, that many don't
Stop hating your parents because as soon as you are gone, you will want to crawl back home.
Stop wanting to grow up so fast. You don't know what it is like to be an adult and you shouldn't have to. Being an adult is no fun, ask almost any of them. I bet you they would go back to being a kid again.
Stop doing drugs. They aren't going to take you anywhere you want to be in the long run.
Stop worrying about relationships. The best one will work out if it is suppose to.
Stop saying that you love someone a week into a relationship. You don't understand what love is.
Stop spending more time on your phone than you do with your grandparents. They aren't going to be there forever.
Stop having babies. Although it's never planned in high school, stop putting yourself into that position. You are still a baby yourself.
Stop thinking you are tough and all grown up. You have a lot in life to learn. So do I.
Stop bullying other people because they are different. You don't know what they have been through. Plus, how boring would life be if we were all exactly the same.
Stop taking school for granted. Education is not something you can put a price on. Take advantage of every single class that you can possibly take.
Stop taking the easy way out. High school is a time to challenge yourself, because even if you don't succeed at first, it is a place where people are going to give you a second chance.
Learn respect, to put your phone down when someone is talking to you. The text can wait.
Learn patience. It is a great virtue and it comes in handy when you get older.
Learn communication. Because not everything can be done through a simple text message.
Learn fun. Without the drugs and alcohol. There are a lot of things that can be done.
Learn to enjoy a good book. Reading can take you out of reality and into a whole other world.
Learn to love your parents. You never know what life will bring, but you can guarantee that they have great stories to share with you someday.
Learn to see people for what they really are. Don't fall for tricks to leave you getting hurt.
Learn everything you possibly can. If you have an opportunity to learn something, DO IT.
Learn to love yourself. You are worth it. Put yourself before others sometimes, because you are young and you can.
You have your entire life ahead of you. You live in a country and a time period where you can do almost anything you could possibly imagine. So why throw it away on drugs, alcohol and things that make you feel good in the moment. Do what you want to do.
Please. I am tired of seeing this next generation go down like this. I want to see success. I want to prove the older generations wrong. We aren't stupid. We are able to hold a conversation. We aren't going to let the future down.
Sincerely,
Someone who really doesn't understand
But really wants to help
But really wants to help
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