Why does everyone have to change?
I'm the same person I've always been. My friends from elementary school are always shocked to see me. They say "Jess, you're still the same person you were in elementary school. I'm surprised that high school hasn't changed you."
Actually, high school has changed me. But not to the extreme. People always tell me that I haven't undergone a drastic change like they have. Why should I? I don't want to be like everyone else. I'm a strong person. I'm not easily influenced by others.
Sherri was one of the smartest people I knew. She was excellent in math, music and art. Sherri and I are at the same high school and she's so different now. She has a boyfriend, Don. Sherri used to tell me about the kind of boyfriend she wanted. "Someone smart" she said, "and kind." Don is neither smart nor kind. He skips class, sells drugs and is rude to everyone. Sherri is taking applied courses and she is doing poorly in math.
Tara never cared about what anyone else thought. She wore what she liked and very minimal make-up. She refused to follow society's trends unless she liked a particular trend. These days, Tara sports the typical namebrand clothes -- Hollister, Abercrombie & Fitch, American Eagle, Aeropostale, TNA -- and namebrand shoes, purses, jewelery, etc. I can't imagine what influenced her. Tara never let herself get influenced by what other people had or did.
Tara's younger sister Zora wears so much makeup, it's unbelievable. I saw her recently and I was barely able to recognize her. She has gone through three boyfriends. She is only ten years old.
In elementary school, Mark was the smartest person in our grade. His best subject was math and he always achieved perfect or near perfect on all of his tests. Mark won the Math Award when we graduated from elementary school. He is now failing math in high school.
Remember the last episode of Lizzie McGuire? In Lizzie's yearbook, Gordo wrote "Dear Lizzie, you rock. Don't ever change. And only, I really mean it."
The people I knew were great just the way they were. You know those "Who do I want to be in the future?" assignments? I had to do one every year in elementary school. These people are a far cry from what they said they wanted to be. Growing up, people always told me how polite and friendly I was. They still do. They tell me that I'm a smart person with a great attitude and a heart for others. They tell me not to change. I promise them that I won't. And I don't.
When people change, they drift apart from the people they knew before. You can't change a part of yourself and stay the same. You either stay the way you are and make small changes or you reinvent yourself and ignore your past.
I'm not against change. I know many people who have changed for the better.
Evan used to be shy and he told immature jokes as a way to talk to girls. Now, Evan is very popular and he has a steady girlfriend.
Madge was one of my best friends. She was a sweet girl with a fun personality, and talented in art. She still is.
Then there's me. I'm the same person I've always been. And I like it that way.
When I complain about people's drastic changes, they tell me that it's none of my business. Why does something have to be any of my business for me to comment on it?
People change and there's nothing I can do about it. To me, that's really sad.
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