Society.
“Be yourself, don\'t let others change who you are”
Said every parent, teacher, sister, brother, aunt,
Uncle, boyfriend, girlfriend, cousin, tv show, movie and myself.
Now we say this to ourselves over and over again to
Hopefully make this statement come true.
Growing up, that statement was a form of encouragement.
It was a form of acceptance. But as you GROW up,
it is no longer a form of any of those.
Now see you that was a message brought upon younger
Children to make them realize the first step in being happy,
Is loving yourself. But as you GROW up, most of us
Will realize that that is not the cause. It is natural to want
To fit in. Every teen wants to be popular, but the only way
To become “popular” is by NOT being yourself and LETTING
People change who you are.
But when you are yourself you get broken down.
You always wear that pretty polka dotted bow in your hair ?
Not anymore
All because someone said it was ugly. Then someone else agreed
And then someone else laughed and then someone else took a picture.
And now you don\'t wear that bow anymore.
But I thought we needed to “be ourselves”
You\'d do anything to become popular, so prove it.
You smoked weed, you started drinking, then of course you started having sex,
Then you started skipping school, then you started stealing.
All because it made you “popular”.
But you\'re happy right ? You\'re being yourself aren\'t you ?
Have you let people change you? The answer to that is yes.
You have let people change you but in fact, no one can
Change another person. That is only a figment of the imagination.
A tale. A lie. An incorrect statement because at the end of the day it is you
Who made those decisions. Your friend was just the one giving you the ideas.
And in return what do you get?
This idea that you are now one of the “popular” kids.
That statement “be yourself, don\'t let anyone change you”
Has as much of an impact as
“don\'t drink and drive”
“smoking kills”
“violence is never the answer”
“always wear your seatbelt”
“don\'t do drugs”
but every day someone dies at the wheel of a drunk driver.
Everyday someone is diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer because they needed that smoke.
Everyday a women is beat to death by her husband because she didn\'t
Add enough sugar in his coffee. .
Everyday someone flies through their windshield because they didn\'t strap up.
every day someone OD’s of of heroine in an alley.
And everyday a kid is willing to sacrifice their self righteousness, self dignity
And self respect all because they would rather pretend to be someone they wish
They could be rather than strive to be that person they could be.
Society will tell you to to be yourself.
But society will be the first ones to tell you
That two pieces are only meant for girls
Who have a size zero waist.
And you think to yourself
“who in the hell is a size zero”
but then a week later you\'re eating less
and constantly checking the scale.
Society will tell you to not let others
Change who you are.
But society will also tell you that your ass is flat
And you should get implants. And you have no boobs so
You should up their size.
And then here you are laying under the knife, trying
To conform into society\'s screwed up way of making one
Feel as if they are “perfect”.
You wanna make yourself feel perfect, wanted ?
Do this.
Ask yourself “who am I?”.
“is my social status really that important?”
but of course it is. Because no matter how many
times you ask yourself that.
Society will be there to break and bend you into the smallest pieces you can be.
“don\'t let anyone change you. Be yourself”
atleast that\'s what society tells you.
But then again. I just told you how society goes.
-Jaylen Stallings