Post by sarahcritchfield on Aug 4, 2011 18:04:30 GMT -5
As children, we all watched those movies about teenagers and their high school experiences. Every aspect of high school life was magnified and worsened by so many degrees, that by the time we actually reached high school, we were scared to death. No one wanted to be the smelly dude eating lunch by himself or the weird kid with glasses playing chess with the only dorky friend he had. We needed to be popular. No matter how cliché or far fetched that seemed, it was our only way to get through the difficult high school years, according to the movies that were the only sources of research. Now, the way to reach popularity, well that involved making connections with the right people and behaving as the “right people” expected you to behave. So, all the new kids sought out the cool crowd via communication. These days, loners equal losers. Being alone with no one to talk to or call or text seems to be looked down upon. In “The End of Solitude,” William Deresiewicz stated, “The contemporary self wants to be recognized, to be connected: It wants to be visible.” I whole-heartedly agree with this statement. I know so many peers even now, getting ready for our last year in high school, who can’t stand not being the center of attention or who view being alone the same way they view death. Constant contact with others must be made at all times. For a really long time, I was scared to even be alone while walking through the halls at Danville High School. I was afraid that the people whispering were saying, “Oh, look at her. She must have no friends because she’s by herself.” Now, a couple years later, I know that wasn’t true and that other teenagers could care less what you’re doing and who you’re doing it with, but at first it is really intimidating. “Friends are a comfort. Friends prevent you from being alone. I need friends around me at every given moment.” That was my mindset throughout my early high school days. Not being alone meant not being a loser. After three years in the not-as-scary-as-the-movies Danville High School, I’ve found that I’m happy with a small, close-knit group of friends who aren’t around me all the time. I don’t need fake friendships with people just so I don’t have to be alone. Sometimes I even enjoy being alone and away from my friends because, honestly, teenage girls can get quite annoying with their drama. However, aloneness for me never lasts long. I can’t stand not being able to talk to someone about important news or what so and so just said. Although being alone isn’t ideal these days, there are few people who simply don’t take on trends like having friends or having as many social networking accounts as one can muster up. I must say I have a huge amount of respect for these people. Almost becoming a new Emerson or Thoreau, they aren’t inflicted by the thoughts of others. They are individuals, standing by themselves in front of everyone, supporting Deresiewicz’s last line of his essay: “Those who fond solitude must not be afraid to stand alone.”