A change in the world

"Sometimes it seems like we're all living in some kind of prison, and the crime is how much we all hate ourselves. It's good to get really dressed up once in a while and admit the truth -- that when you really look closely, people are so strange and so complicated that they're actually beautiful. Possibly even me."

When you stand on that oppression line - and you look at your neighbor, you realize you both have the same insecurities - you both go to work or school each day - holding in all the anxieties from the previous. You both think you are totally alone - that no one can relate - that you will never match up, you will never be who they expect you to be - then one day - you take a look around, and you realize all t hose people you pass in the halls -they are just like you, they are hiding something deep inside. All scared to truly be themselves.

Today at work, we had a workshop a few years ago for the new students/freshman - and I have never been through something like this before. It was called Challenge Day (www.challengeday.org) I strongly encourage anyone to look this up, It truly changed my life. If we had this when I was in high school, I don't think I would have felt so alone - so isolated - so different. So many students said that day they never realized that each of their peers experienced the same pains and fears, or the same heartache.

I challenge each of you that reads this to STOP judging people - to take a look at who they really are - who they really can be. I challenge you to listen. just listen with your heart and open your eyes to the possibilities that we aren't so different after all.

*Unfortunately, not everyone sees this program as beneficial. It takes a certain type of person to loo inside themselves and try make it better. This program is no longer used in our school systems. Adminstration didn't like what message it was sending to students. And most teachers didn't want to "feel" anything - they thought it was silly and most teacher didn't understand the message. The day I found out about the cancellation, I felt letdown by our school. I was dissappointed in the adults who felt the program was a joke.**