By FAITH SIMON
Staff Writer
Moments ago I was walking through the halls and I saw a group of three boys walking by. Nothing unusual about that. Then, I saw a girl walk past dressed in a very trendy outfit: a light pink shirt with a striped long sleeve underneath, a black skirt, black combat boots, white leg warmers, and a ton of little accessories. This girl obviously put a lot of thought and effort into her outfit. These three boys saw her and immediately began elbowing each other and holding back laughs. It was apparent that they were laughing at her clothes. I struggled in that moment as I watched her put her head down and hurry past just a little faster, her confidence shrinking in front of my eyes. I wanted to say something to those boys but I was intimidated in the moment. What if I had wrongly assumed that they were laughing at her? She had without a doubt assumed they were laughing at her too. What if I said something to those three boys and it went badly? I am also dressed in a similar style as that girl. If they were really laughing at her, would I be the next person they’d scrutinize? In spite of that, I wanted to defend her. I know how she feels. But what was I supposed to do in the moment? No school assembly prepares you for actually seeing someone get laughed at for something they enjoy. So, I said nothing. Now I can’t stop thinking about how she felt. Maybe the best course of action would’ve been to try and catch up with her and compliment her outfit. Maybe, if I had been a little braver, I could have made her feel like those boys’ reactions didn’t matter. Maybe, just maybe, I could have made her feel as beautiful as she is.
This is a call to action. Please be kind and considerate of other peoples’ feelings. It takes so little to not criticize others. You literally have to do nothing in order to leave other people alone. Be kind, be considerate, and think about the consequences of your actions. Please, don’t be the cause of someone doubting themselves. Be conscious of your choices, and remember Miners:
Be good humans.