Be kind, everyone has their own story- by Jasmine S>
I believe in being kind to your friends, family, and strangers because you never
know what they are going through. My parents moved a lot when they were young so
they met a lot of people and understood that individuals had their own personal lives.
“You never know what is happening behind closed doors,” my parents would say. I have
followed this advice with me everywhere; seeing other people assume everything has
shown me who I do not want to be.
About two years ago, my older sister, Natalie, and I were at a Sheetz to get some
food. Natalie got a burger, fries, soda, and some snacks with her debit card. Natalie and
I sat outside to eat, and we noticed a younger guy walk past and gave Natalie a dirty
look which made me infuriated. After some time, the man walked out of Sheetz and
mumbled, “hog.” I remember how red Natalie’s face got, and how confused she was.
The man did not know that Natalie was pregnant which is why she ate so much. Natalie
wasn’t really upset because she knew she was big, but I kept my cool and understood
that he didn’t know. Maybe he had a bad day, I thought to myself. After that, I sat on my
bed just wondering if I ever made assumptions about others.
I then remembered a YouTube video I watched that I still think about. A guy
named Will walked up to a girl on a park bench. The girl was reading. Will sat on the
bench and asked the lady, “What are you reading?” The woman did not answer him; she
kept reading. Will looked around to see if she had earbuds in; she did not. “I asked what
you were reading,” Will firmly said. Once again, she ignored him. Will stood up quickly in
anger and shouted about how he was just being polite. The woman stared at him with
shock as Will stomped away. “I should go and apologize,” Will thought to himself after
some time. Will had gone up to the bench only to find a letter, “Hey, I’m sorry. I didn't
mean to ignore you, I'm deaf.” Will stood in silence and thought of what the woman had
seen in her point of view.
My friend, Lily, and I have been friends for 14 years now and I have seen many
people assume who Lily was through those years. Lily is the most comical person I
know; she always knows how to make you laugh. Lily dances in stores, jump scares
people in the school hallways, and even screams at random moments of silence. I’ve
had people ask me, “Is she okay? What is wrong with her?” Every time, I look at them
and say, “Yeah, she is having fun.” This always upset me so much because they
assume she is dumb when she is just joking. Lily does not want to be like everyone else;
she wants to enjoy life. Lily is kind to others and does not judge what other people do;
she does not deserve to get the hate that she gets.
You can say you are funny, unique, or friendly, but your actions define who you
are to other people. Don’t be who other people want you to be; just because they laugh
at the same kid doesn’t mean that kid needs another bully. Being rude may be fun at the
time, but practicing these toxic traits will only make it harder for you to come back,
besides the fact that it is a distraction to personal growth. I see people in their 40’s only
to just now start living, realizing being a jerk is only temporary happiness to make you
feel better about yourself. Before you assume, try asking.
