Take a Hike (LJIdol Week 10)

[garnigal]

Is there anything more demoralizing than being unwanted?

“Take a hike, loser!”

“Get lost, geek!”

“Get bent.”

Is there anything more hurtful than being rejected?

“You’ve got nothing I want.”

“What is that? Eww!”

“Just shut up.”

Is there anything more frightening than a room full of your peers?

“What is she even wearing?”

“God, she’s such a brown-noser!”

“My mother made me invite her.”

At 15, these were the worst things I’d faced. I imagined every whisper was about me; my clothes, my hair, my books. I imagined every slight was intentional, nasty word was meant to drive me to tears.

At 40, I want to reach back in time and slap myself silly or hug myself breathless. No one cares about you as much as you think they do. No one loves themselves as much as they should.

There are many worse things to face than teenage rejection.

Since then, I’ve been in car accidents, lost family members, been fired and gotten cheated on.

These things are all worse than the things that made me cry at 15. But at 40, I know that I’m lucky, even in the worst things that have happened to date.

I’m safe.

I’m loved.

And every once in a while, I get to take a hike.

Comments

[penpusher.livejournal.com]

The real lessons, the ones we truly need to make it through life, are the ones taught outside of what we think of as the "classroom," aren't they? And really, a school that specialized in those sorts of lessons would provide the information to help us and maybe even make everyone's experience of life better, so we could retain our knowledge better.

Let's make that happen.

[garnigal.livejournal.com]

A lot of those lessons are incredibly painful though, too. I don't ever want to see my daughter bullied like I was (and I got off lightly), but by the same token it made me read more, which led me to examining people's motives more because of the rich inner lives I'd been introduced to in literature.

[jerusha]

Nice turn around on the key phrase, and so very true.

[garnigal.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I'm not totally happy with it, but it's done :)

[snogged.livejournal.com]

*hugs*
I liked the way you ended this.

[garnigal.livejournal.com]

Thank you. I do love to be outdoors.

[slaymesoftly.livejournal.com]

Perspective is everything. You've got it. :)

[garnigal.livejournal.com]

I was talking about that with a friend recently. She was amazed when I said I thought about motivations even as a child. She kind of just did things without considering repercussions or motivations.

It made me shudder, thinking about going through life without consideration.

[slaymesoftly.livejournal.com]

Welcome to the world of those of us without impulse control.... :)

[rayaso.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you were able to end this the way you did. I loved the way you were able to use the topic at the beginning and end. "No one cares about you as much as you think they do" would be wonderful to teach our teen selves.

[garnigal.livejournal.com]

This is easily the 5th version of take a hike. :) I'm super glad it worked for you... damn near killed me!

[shadowwolf13]

<3

[eternal-ot.livejournal.com]

"No one cares about you as much as you think they do. No one loves themselves as much as they should."-Golden words. A nice take!

[halfshellvenus.livejournal.com]

When you're a teenager, one of the most unfathomable things is the idea that people aren't just watching your every move and waiting for you to fail. Yes, some of your nastier peers are. But grownups? Do not care. Most other people? Hardly notice, or if they do... they're much more forgiving than you are to yourself.

It's SO nice to be older. :)

[murielle.livejournal.com]

Gorgeous!

My uncle once gave me really good advice. He told me don't worry about what others are thinking about you, they're not, they're too busy worrying about themselves to be thinking about you.

Great read!

[xlovebecomesher.livejournal.com]

*hugs*