friends: the good and the bad

There's a good chance that you've gone through a lot of best friends. It's not a bad thing, it's just life. Sure you can still be friends with your best friends but life moves so fast that it's extremely difficult to stay as close as you used to be. I was talking to my best friend from high school the other day and I told her how I'm still good friends with about five people from high school. FIVE PEOPLE. I went to school with 1600 other kids. How does that even happen? Well for one, high school was an overall nauseating experience. I couldn't make deep and meaningful friendships in that horrific environment. Thank God for gymnastics or I probably would have made zero friends. If you're in high school and you're reading this, rest easy in knowing that the popularity hierarchy DOES NOT EXIST upon graduating. I know, I was relieved too. It seemed like everyone was trying to climb their way to the top and the gossip was unbelievable. I'm not claiming innocent in that category, either. I was just as bad as the next person.

#TRUUUUU. I apologize for that outburst. Anyways, fast forward to college and life is OH so much dandier. The people are nicer, the friendships are deeper, and the academics are a million times harder but that's beside the point. The main reason I enjoy it so much more than high school is because the people I choose to surround myself with build me up in every way. We all have or had that one friend who uses sarcasm as a defense mechanism for their insecurities. I am a sarcastic person at times, but I've learned not to make jokes at my friends' expense. One time, my friend was trying to make me look stupid in front of my other friends and it didn't feel very nice. I asked her afterwards why she did that and guess what she said? "I do it because it makes people laugh and I like making people laugh."

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ARE YOU KIDDING ME.

The goal was noble, I will give her that. But the way she went about achieving that goal? INCONCEIVABLE. (If you didn't read that in Vizzini's voice from Princess Bride then I don't know you.)

That, my friends, is the number one sign of an insecure person. Stay away from the people who put you down constantly, even if it seems like it's all fun and games. And if you're friends with someone who puts you down, either confront the issue or cut them out of your life. There's no shame in doing either one because who you surround yourself with is who you are. Maintain your dignity in every situation and build people up whenever possible because there is no one in this world who actually likes being made fun of. Even though I'm only 20 (ALMOST 21), I've learned a lot in the department of friendship and I hope this helped at least one of you beautiful peoples. XOXOX,

-H