Looking Past the Surface and Finding Beauty

This is an assignment that I had to do for one of my classes for the semester. It really changed my views and hopefully will help me to become a better person. There are people out there who really just long to be loved for who they are, not for what they look like. I hope that this will make you think:



Introduction
“What is wrong with you?” This is the question that started my community experience. I donned my brother’s baggy clothing, filthy, over-sized, warn tennis shoes, a greasy ratty ponytail, and no makeup. I put myself in the place of someone that I have grown up judging: someone of low economic status. As I came up the stairs, dressed as such, my brother asked me what was wrong with me. My project began in the confines of my own home. I then picked up my friend, dressed in her cute trendy clothing, and hit the mall. We walked around together watching people’s reactions to us and our “odd” matchup. As I would enter a store and be totally ignored and avoided by the employees, my friend would walk in and have two or three employees ask her if she needed assistance. I was aghast at the lack of help, the stares, and the whispers I would hear as I walked around. I could not believe that other people would treat someone so terribly simply for the way they looked and dressed. However, as I did this project, I realized and learned that the biggest part of it was overcoming my own prejudices and judgments of others.
Reflection
Growing up in the public education system, I can remember being the child that would be included in the group of kids laughing at and making fun of the children who were dressed and groomed poorly: the kids with low economic status. The only thing that I saw in them was that they were different than me. I did not see them with a person with feelings, thoughts, and great ideas. In essence, I was above them. I did not often take the time to get to know them or befriend them. As I walked through the mall with my friend, looking much like one of the children I would poke fun at as a child, I was floored by the responses of people. People would blatantly give me dirty looks or not help me when I would walk into their stores. I was so upset with them. I wanted to tell them that I was a person too and that I had feelings. Yet, as I had these thoughts, it hit me. On normal days, I was just like these people. When I would see someone dressed and groomed poorly, my first thought would be, “don’t they know what a brush is?” I was disgusted with myself and truly hurt for all the people I have judged.
Another thought that really came to my mind was that after that afternoon, I could go change back into my regular clothing, take a shower, fix my hair and makeup, and go on living life as if I had never felt this way. However, people who really live like that cannot do that. Every day they live with the stares, pointed fingers and the whispers. I realized, yes, I could easily go on living my life the way I had, but what then would be the point of this experience.
Teacher Application
Now that I know how it feels, I cannot simply go on living life ignorant of people that daily feel hurt and pointed at. As a teacher, I cannot sit back and pretend that “that child” is fine and will “get over it.” From what I can remember, I never had a teacher that stood up for those students in my classroom. They would ignore it and pretend like it was not a problem. However, ignoring it is the problem. To the people who pointed and whispered about me in the mall, I was just a poor unfortunate person. They did not realize that I was a person with great thoughts and ideas, someone who could contribute to their society in a good way if they would give me a chance.
I realized through this experience, that teachers have two choices: they can ignore these students, pretending like it is not their problem, or they can treat that child with as much dignity and respect as all their other students, helping to improve that student’s life for good. I want to be the later of these two teachers. However, to do this, I realize that I need to work on myself and overcome the personal prejudices that I am harboring. I need to look past the things that I see on the outside of my students and see them for who they really are: capable, intelligent, bright students. Each and every one of the students in every classroom across America is capable, they just need people, like you and me, to look past the surface to the things that may not be seen, but need to be discovered.
This assignment opened my eyes to the life of someone with low economic status, but more importantly, it opened my eyes to the personal prejudices that I have been holding on to for many years. I realize that to have change, it begins with me. I want to be the change that my future students, each and every one, will need to feel successful and capable.

Thanksgiving Irony

Well I guess it is about time I actually start using this blog that I created a few months ago. So....here goes:

Have you ever thought about how ironic Thanksgiving is?

I mean, think about it. It is a holiday that is meant to be spent giving thanks for all the blessings that we have. It's a time to look upon and be grateful for all the things that make our life wonderful.

Instead, we slave for hours in the kitchen with growing amounts of stress ready to boil over if everything does not turn out just like a "Martha Stewart" Thanksgiving. Through this stress, tension runs high. After all of that hard work, everyone sits down to eat. A meal that took several hours to prepare only takes a few minutes to be consumed. Then, for hours after that, you sit around feeling as though you are about ready to explode.

That's not all my friends. It gets better! Starting at midnight crazed shoppers go on the hunt for their next big purchase, hoping to find items that they probably don't need to fill their homes with. I must admit, my mom and I were among these insane people this year. We stood there watching as person after person lined up. We laughed, saying things like, "those people are crazy." Yet, we too were out there, in the cold, at midnight, laughing at these people for this very same act.

After half an hour went by and the line all but getting smaller and closer to the checkout, we finally decided to ditch our stuff and go home to bed. I don't know if I have ever felt so silly in my life. After we had just laughed at these people for waiting in line, we were the ones that had gone out at midnight, waited there, we even found things we wanted,waited so more, and after all that, we decided to just go home to bed. WOW!

Now as I sit here with my eyes forcing themselves to stay awake, I realize just what Thanksgiving is about. It was not about the food, waiting in lines, or buying things that I don't need. But for me, I had shared some funny moments with my family and my mom. We shared a lot of memories and loads of laughter. Through it all, I found a greater love for the crazy awesome family that I have. I am thankful for them in my life. I am thankful that they won't judge me for doing weird crazy things. I am thankful that they participate with me in doing weird crazy things. And most of all, I am glad that they are mine, forever.