What do you wish someone had sat you down and explained to you as a child?
Monday, February 24, 2020
Missed Opportunities and Childhood Longings
Rahel and Esta are described as "a pair of actors trapped in a recondite play with no hint of plot or narrative" and wishing for "some cheap brand of exorcism from a counselor with a fancy degree, who would sit them down and say,...'You're not the Sinners. You are the Sinned Against. You were only children. You had no control. You are the victims, not the perpetrators.'"
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As a child one's parents could sit them down and tell them about how horrific the world really is, and about all the bad and wrong things that happen around the world and are happening at the moment around the world, and how these things happen to people that haven't done anything wrong and don't deserve it. Also that these bad things happen because of the selfishness of people around the world, and that id they grow to be selfless and other people do as well, the world could be a much better place. Also how hard adulthood really is with all the responsibility there is and all the things one must account for and take care throughout there life.
ReplyDeleteAlex Dessin
I would love to have known as a child that I shouldn't let other people determine my feelings. While being empathetic, I shouldn't let people who are mad make me upset. If my friend is sad, I shouldn't dwell on it. There is a difference between being empathetic and letting it consume you.
ReplyDeleteI wish someone sat me down as a child and explained to me that most people are awful and need help but don't get it, so instead they lash out on innocent people in many ways to cope with their own issues and faults. I also wish someone would have explained to me that abuse is not ever the victim's fault, it is the abuser's fault and that no victim ever deserves the abuse the deal with/ go through.
ReplyDeleteWhat i wish i learned as a child when someone sat me down is to always remain confidence in myself. To have confidence in my decisions, with myself or just anything. Not everything will always be okay in life so having confidence will help you coupe with that so you don't lose faith in yourself. Having either mental or physical confidence with either your body or decisions/sacrifices.
ReplyDelete- Jordan Gomez- Azenon, period 2
DeleteWhat I wish someone would've explained to me when I was little would be the importance of having priorities and morals.
ReplyDeleteAs I got I have had to accustomed my priorities for the caring of others and I shouldn't do that as often as I do because I then leave my self care to the side and get overwhelmed when my priorities aren't accomplished.
I have always had my own morals and values as I grew up but sometimes I let things happen even though it doesn't fit into what I believe in and it ends up damaging me in the end, so if someone would've told me how important it is to stick to my beliefs then maybe I wouldn't have gotten hurt in certain situations.
Something that I would have wanted to be explained to me as a child is probably about patience.I have the occasional problem of being impatient at times when I shouldn't. I don't know how one could be taught patience as a child but if it could have been taught I would probably be in need of some other thing.
ReplyDelete^Keyli Portillo, Period 5
DeleteI wish someone had explained to me as a child is that there will always be people that are for you. That I don't have to settle for friends that just act like they care. No one should ever have to lower their standards to make someone fit in their lives. You will find people in your life that meet your standards.
ReplyDeleteI wish that someone sat me down, looked me in the eyes, and told me to care less. Being so attached to everyone in your life isn’t healthy, so it’s better to care less. Wanting to make so many people be happy and impressed with you is a waste of time, so it’s better to care less. But also having too much care for yourself than for others is also not the greatest attribute, so it’s better to care less. It’s better to leave all the big things and the laws the world builds around you uncared for because they will leave you to be both a victim and a perpetrator.
ReplyDeleteI wish when I was a child somebody told me to pursue your passion because in life people get to enjoy what they do and I've just recently found out that I like to play the piano so wish someone told me to keep playing when I was a little kid. If I started that young I'd be a lot better than I was now.
ReplyDeleteI wished someone told me there was no one correct way to do something before I found out the hard as I watched my rivals do their own way of doing things, and realized convential means weren't always the right thing. But the time I had my own of doing things, it was also important to listen to others for ideas, and incorporate them into your own idea. I wish someone told me that, but I value also finding things on your own.
ReplyDeleteI wish when I was a child that people didn't allow me to have this false sense of "we can grow up and be whatever we wanna be". This illusion is proven wrong by the fact that in this country you cannot do what you want to do if it doesn't earn enough to pay off college and/or living expenses. People have to work SMART not hard but nobody gets told this at a young age. If I was told this maybe I would be better off right now.
ReplyDeleteThat's me ^ Matt O
ReplyDeleteI wish someone sat me down and told me that it is okay to learn the hard way and make mistakes, that I should not compare myself to others success. I often hold very high standards for myself, and get very upset when I do not succeed in my task. However, is is the way we handle those let downs and mistakes that define us. I wish I grew up learning to not take myself seriously and allowing myself to learn instead of worry.
ReplyDeleteI wish my parents had sat me down and told me that this time in my childhood is the best time to make mistakes. That that this time is the best time to live and learn because the consequences are less dire then they would be in the future. I find myself now being too scared to make mistakes and I feel as if I was told in the past that it's fine (to an extent) i'd be much more accomplished.
ReplyDeleteI wish someone had sat down with me and told me that life after the age of 13 would get harder, I would have to learn things the hard way by making mistakes and be hurt by the people you thought loved you. I wish someone had told me not to give my full self to those who don't have good intentions towards me because they will take advantage of me.
ReplyDeleteI wish that somebody sat down and told me to not expect much from people. That the world is not rainbows and sunshine. That not everybody has morals and respect. To accept the fact that just because you did somebody a favor you cant rely on them. To give and expect nothing in return.That the world is cruel and unfair.That I will have to accept all of this and learn from this and become mentally stronger.
ReplyDeleteI wish someone had explained to me that it was okay to feel the emotions that I felt. That my emotions weren’t a bother to anyone else or not significant enough to spend time to work through. I wish someone had told me that it is okay to take a break and that mental health is just as important as physical health.
ReplyDeleteI wish I would have been told to not care about other people's opinions or thoughts about myself from a much earlier age. Constantly being worried about my image or what everyone thinks of me was one of my biggest struggles for the all of elementary and middle school. Only by the end of 10th or beginning of 11th grade I started to not really care about what everyone thought of me and it cleared my mind so much, took a lot of my stress away, and let me focus on the stuff that really matters in life.
ReplyDeleteI wish that someone sat down and told me that your experiences do not define you as a person. That your trauma and regrets will haunt you forever. That sometimes, you can't escape being between a rock and a hard place. That bonds don't always last through the tests of time. That dwelling on your mistakes and what could have been leads you nowhere. That in life, you have to find your own truth. And that truth can be different from the people around you. That while the pains of the past may go away, their scars will linger. That not everyone gets/deserves their perfect ending. That there is always light at the end of the tunnel, no matter how dark the tunnel is or how dim the light is. That life pulls no punches for anyone. That despite all the physical, mental, and especially emotional torture I have endured, I must continue to learn and grow from it all and become a stronger person.
ReplyDeleteAs a child, I wish someone told me that prioritization is really key to a lack of stress and a much calmer mental state. A big issue I struggle with now is learning when to do what and figuring out what to focus on first. A lot of times I get assignments, and not just in-school tasks but also outside of school assignments, that have such different deadlines, but I feel this unnecessary pressure to get it all done at the same time. I don’t pace myself. I just wish that Someone really told me how important that is, not only for efficiency but for the health of your brain.
ReplyDeletePeriod 5
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ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletePeople will act like your friend in front of you up stab you in the back when you are not around.
DeleteWhen I was a child, I wished my parents would have sat me down to explain that everything isn't perfect. As I've been growing up, I have been playing softball. But I've been injuring my shoulder. When I was little, my goal was to play softball in college. But everything isn't perfect because I physically can not play because of the nerve damage and torn muscles in my shoulders. Also, everything isn't perfect because things can be painful. As I lost my dog this week, I had to teach myself that everything isn't perfect because some people/animals can give up. But I had to teach myself on my own that there is no such thing as perfection but the concept of you being perfect in your own eyes is true.
ReplyDeleteI wish that as a child I was told that I shouldn't live to impress others and to not compare myself with others since that creates a sense of jealousy and relative deprivation. There's many things I've done for others instead of myself and it'd be nice to be reminded to live up to others expectations but the ones you set for yourself to be the person you want to be.
ReplyDelete-
Shannon L.
Pd.5
I think that lesson would be valuable for a lot of people. It seems like every friend I have blames themselves for things that are out of their control. That mindset fosters anxiety issues and insecurity and just general unhappiness. Stressful exceptions for themselves and from other people is terrible for young people. I think that damange seen in how Esta stopped talking and in many of the students in this school.
ReplyDeleteI wish I was told that adults don't always mean what they say and that I shouldn't take their words to heart. There were many times that I would feel hurt by an adults words that were simply a joke, but I didn't know that as a child. I would've spent a lot less time feeling guilty about certain things.
ReplyDeleteI wish someone had sat me down as a child and explained that everyone will have their own opinions about everything and everyone else in the world, just like I have my own personal opinions, but that they were just that. Nothing more than each individual's opinions and that sometimes, there isn't much we can do to change how people see things and not to let this impact me too much.
ReplyDeleteKat Camara (5)
ReplyDeleteAs a child, I wish someone would've explained to me that my parent's past didn't determine my future. I put up a lot of walls because of this and struggle to this day to open up about my emotions. I always thought that there was no hope or that I didn't have control over certain things because of the decisions and actions my parents took. I hate being vulnerable in front of others and felt as though I was helpless in all situations. It's true however though, that to a certain degree you are like your parents, however you chose your own path and who you set yourself out to be as an individual.
Cameron Dewey Pd 2
ReplyDeleteI wish someone had told me to stop caring so much about what everyone else thinks. I find myself worrying constantly about what others think about me. Every time I walk into a room, my mind is racing with thoughts about the people there judging me. I am always trying to blend in with the background so that I don’t have to worry about people thinking negatively about me. Every time I go out with friends, I worry that they might think I’m being annoying. I am constantly thinking about what others think about me, not what I think. If someone had sat down and told me to not care so much, I think I would be far more outgoing and less of an anxious person compared to how I am now.
As a kid I surrounded myself with some judgmental friends/acquaintances and hearing them talk negatively about others instilled a fear that people would think negatively about me. This caused me to be shy and anxious in social settings, thinking that people didn't care what I had to say. As I grew up I learned how to not care of what other people think of me, but I wish that someone had sat me down and encouraged me to find the people that made me feel truly wanted because those are the people where you can be comfortable to grow. When I was younger I hadn't come to the realization of why I was so shy, so I wish that someone had told me not to surround myself with negative, judgmental people to avoid building the anxiety that I developed.
ReplyDeleteAmera Mohamed 5: I wish someone sat me down as a child and explained that other people’s opinions on who you are as a person should not always be taken to heart. As a child and still till this day it is engrained to me to seek approval from everyone and if someone has something bad to say about me I took it very seriously for most of my life. Anything about me that was even slightly joked about would cause me to change my whole personality or develop a new insecurity. I had to outgrow that and learn that if someone thinks something about you that does not mean they’re right and you don’t have to change for anyone.
ReplyDeleteI wish someone had sat me down and explained that all people aren't great. To this day, no matter how much someone irritates me or how much shit I talk about people, i always try to find the best in everyone and everything-- even if it's controversial or gets me into a predicament. If someone had sat me down and said, "Joel, not everyone is perfect, and thats ok. But let me tell you whats not" I would have avoided so much pain and suffering.
ReplyDeleteI wish that someone had told me not to grow up too fast. When I was younger, I wanted nothing more than to grow up and be older. Now that I'm two weeks away from being a legal adult, I feel like I grew up really fast and now I want to be younger. If I had been told that your childhood doesn't last forever, I may have cherished the small things more and not have taken things for granted.
ReplyDeleteI wish someone explained to me the importance to being social and extroverted. I was always extremely quiet, even as a child. My parents or older sister were always the ones to speak for me, and I never really had experience with talking for myself until I was around ten. I still get nervous now and then when I have to talk to people and if I was taught to speak for myself when I was younger, maybe I wouldn’t have this problem now.
ReplyDeleteVickie Tu
Period 2
I wish someone had sat me down and explained to me that I shouldn’t take everything people say to heart. I was an emotional child and still am (emotional), so all the comments I would overhear about my weight, my height, my looks, etc I took personally. I’m still that way to this day, and am working towards not being such an emotional wus. Also, I wish I was told to not compare my unique experiences & upbringing to other kids, b/c it would bring me no joy.
ReplyDeleteI wish somebody told me how to deal with stress and how to handle time. Often times and even now I don’t know how to handle certain things and I get lost. I kind of was just thrown into the pack and had to learn by myself which is a good and bad thing. But some guidance would be nice. As far as time goes, I had trouble planning and actually committing to certain actions and would often times feel like too lazy to do certain things. Now I try to plan a schedule that entails me to accomplish certain tasks thorough out the day.
ReplyDeleteI wish someone had told me that I didn't need to always be happy. I do smile a lot and sometimes I can't but sometimes happy was just a default for what I didn't know what to feel. Now, I feel like it's hard for people to take me seriously and I find it difficult to allow other people to see that I am struggling.I keep things to myself because I feel like it isn't a big deal and I should just be happy, even though in that moment that isn't what I feel, and it isn't appropriate for that moment.
ReplyDeleteI wish that someone had told me not to care what other people say about me because there will always be people with negative opinions. I wish I was told to push them away, don't let them get to me, and focus on being the best version of myself that I can be, to do things that will benefit me in the future.
ReplyDeleteI wish that, when I was a child, someone sat me down and explained that I should not feel guilty for what I believe in. My childhood home was in a rural place, where the majority of people had conservative aligned beliefs. When I came to an age where I was gaining an understanding of the world, and developing my own opinions, I was faced with the reality that a lot of my close friends did not think the same way I did. I thought that I was wrong for what I truly felt, and harbored a genuine shame for not sharing views with everyone else. For a period of time, I even pretended, mostly in my church's Sunday School classes. I would just go along with certain statements, nodding my head, even though that's not what I wanted to do in my heart.
ReplyDeleteI think having a conversation, to give me reassurance, would have done wonders for a younger me. Comfort would have been found in the affirmation that not each person thinks in the same way, and that it is perfectly fine. Disagreeing with someone is not inherently disrespectful and in fact, can allow each person in the discussion to learn and therefore grow.
I wish someone had sat down and told me not to care about losing friends. Friends come and go and not everyone is meant to stay in your life. You shouldn't worry about having a lot of friends, but instead having a few good friends.
ReplyDeleteI wish that someone would have straight up told me how difficult and complicated everything is. As a kid, everything we are told is sugarcoated in order to protect us. As we grow older, though, we learn the harsh realities that we need to live and survive in, but I wish I had been straight-up told what I would need to worry about. I also wish I had been told how though there are crappy moments in life, I shouldn't let them hold me down and stop me from appreciating the amazing things that I have. I just think people should be more honest and let us have time to recognize that sooner rather than throwing us headfirst into things we have no idea about.
ReplyDeleteI am so very sorry for such a late response, but I wish that someone explained to me the concept of race and racial identity to me. Coming from a mixed household, no one ever really explained it to me and it’s something I’ve had to personally deal with as I got older and smart enough to recognize the problems and groupings in our society. Lack of understanding about such matters has made it really difficult for me to understand where I fit into society, as I don’t know where I fit in being mixed. Lack of understanding has made things seem clear cut and final, when in reality, nothing is like that. Living in a diverse area has also blinded me to the idea that once I grow up, I will be reduced to simple terms in the eyes of society (which has made racial identity even harder for me). If someone explained everything to me, I’d have a better understanding of who I am and where I fit in society. - Caitlin Henderson
ReplyDelete