[Judgement: as defined by Merriam-Webster online: n. the act or process of forming an opinion or making a decision after careful thought : the act of judging something or someone]
Think of a time you said something that didn’t sound right or performed an action that didn’t flow with what the rest of the crowd was doing. Were you afraid to stand out? Did you feel fear by doing something that was comfortable to you, but unnatural to everyone else?
To me, the society I find myself in is more accepting of the ‘weird’ and ‘abnormal’ than ever before. We, as a generation, are more tolerable of what our culture deems irregular than we are of what people do to fit in. It’s a weird concept to think about when you go further-standing out is becoming the new norm. It’s not about blending in, but finding a way to define yourself against the bright, abstract world of today.
But who does this judging? Where does it occur? Throughout my eighteen years (which doesn’t sound like a lot; I’m just a little crumb in the big cookie of life), I’ve only attended three schools, Scranton being my third. But I’ve noticed that college is more of ‘doing your own thing and being okay with it’ than ‘doing your own thing and feeling semi-judged for it’.
Don’t get me wrong, my high school was very inclusive and within my friend group, we really didn’t care what everyone else was doing. Hey, if you like it and it makes you happy, go for it. However, I still found myself being afraid of judgement when I would dress down during those four years, or express the music I liked or the activities I enjoyed to the few that I wasn’t really friendly with. College is like a different realm. The person who wears pajama bottoms to class and rides down that God forsaken hill on a scooter? That is the smartest person on campus by far.
But I only have four years to really stand out on this campus and that’s not a long time. That’s four autumns, winters and springs; eight semesters. The amount of time is short to tell the growing community of Scranton who and what I am: Brooke, a dreamer with a head in the clouds and who always has a song stuck in her head. I don’t have the time to be afraid if I get an answer wrong, or care about other people judging me for my giant, oversized cardigan that looks like a cape from the back (super cozy, by the way).
The point is, there is only so much time to make an impact in a setting like college. And true to the small rant I just spewed above, no one cares what you do or who you do it with. Have the motto that my friends and I had in high school: if you like it and it makes you happy, go for it.
Being yourself only brings you happiness and is the best thing you can do for yourself. It’s a lesson I’m still learning (note to self: raise my hand more) and I hope to achieve one day in the near future. But, I challenge you. Do one thing that scares you, whatever category that falls into. Listen to different music, or wear a funny shirt. Talk to that kid the sits alone or join a club you would’ve never joined in high school.
Broaden your horizons and expand your personality, but don’t lose sight on the person you are; that person is golden. Don’t judge and you won’t be judged. Be yourself, it will pay off in the end.
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