I remember the very first lesson I learned in kindergarten. It’s a very simple concept to grasp, but it’s also probably the most essential: be kind to one another.
Yet, even though we are all almost adults, it seems that this lesson has escaped us. Girls are slut-shaming each other behind a computer screen and students are shouting derogatory terms at each other in the hallway. It seems that fights over social media is what is considered normal nowadays. That is extremely unsettling.
I know that I probably sound like that weird girl from “Mean Girls” who said, “I wish I could bake a cake filled with rainbows and smiles, and everyone would eat and be happy,” but that really is how I feel.
We all just really need to think twice before we say or post something that is hurtful and completely unnecessary. I know that it might feel good in the moment to call somebody out over social media, but it’s never the right thing to do. Instead, my advice would be to take a minute, calm down, have a warm glass of milk with cookies, and then, if you’re still amped up, write down what you’re feeling or take a walk to cool off.
Sometimes it just completely floors me how mean people can be. Even if someone is having a rough day or going through a tough time, it does not mean that that person gets a free pass to be mean and nasty. Everyone deserves to be treated with respect, no matter what.
I know that nobody is perfect. Everybody makes mistakes and everybody has those days. (Yes, I know I stole that line from Hannah Montana.) I admit that I have made some unfriendly comments to people when I was having a bad day. The point is, especially at Carlmont right now, we all just need to try to be a little bit more sensitive.
“Sticks and stones may break our bones, but words will break our hearts,” said Robert Fulghum in his book, “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.” Words are more powerful than any action, so we need to pick them wisely and be kind to one another.
