Humans are creatures who have managed to survive so long and become so advanced despite biology not giving us physical advantage over other animals. Humans as a species are frail with a lot of issues in our design, but we have managed to prevail due to being extremely collaborative and social. Our social needs can sometimes surpass our physical ones, and there is only so much one can take without these needs being met. Whenever we encounter something that directly interferes with our tolerance for harm, be it a thoughtless joke, a rude comment, or other things that are just "not a big deal" and make you feel stupid for even dwelling on them -- it adds up, and it adds up fast. Once it does, it can cause bitterness and exhaustion that creates the exact same actions, spreading like a disease at an alarming rate.
These small comments make a difference, but the flip-side is that it’s not just negative actions; positive ones matter too. That small complement, that time you offered help, that friendly conversation. Those actions might cost you nothing, but they mean everything to the other person. The effects spread just as fast, and it is the way we were built. It is what we were meant to do, and we are nothing without our friendliness.
In high school when leading clubs, I lived by this ideology. Most people need help, most people are afraid, most people will not enter a space where they do not feel welcome. I joined The Future Farmers of America (FFA) on a whim, and I did not feel welcome. I received no guidance from my peers and was often excluded, not to mention the many comments made about my height, body, clothes, and sexuality.
After my first year, I stuck with it because of my advisor who made me feel welcome, and I vowed to become close to all of our new officers in training. I wanted to make them feel like they could be themselves without judgement, and I taught them how to perform their responsibilities with open arms. I wanted to be the role model I never got, and it was rewarding in ways I could have never imagined. I saw my peers become more confident and grow into their skillset, and use that skillset unapologetically.
High school is short, and high school is an emotional roller-coaster, and if I was able to leave a positive effect on my team, big or small, that’s all I wanted. I will continue to carry this motivation with me no matter where I go. I want to be a doctor because I am tired of being ignored and disregarded by them; I will be the provider that listens, the provider who cares. The world can be cruel, so I won't be. When I am hurt by others, I will stop the infection, I will fight to leave behind something better and foster it as much as I can. I am nowhere near perfect, but if I can make at least one person feel welcome, if I can make at least one person feel heard, if I can make one person feel a little more comfortable being themselves, then I will mark myself as successful. It's only human nature. |
