Open mindedness.

I used to see that word as being something in the line of trying new food or new music or even a new place to go exploring. Never did I associate that word with people.

It’s actually a shame, if you really think about it; I feel that in the context of open mindedness, people as a whole, generally get the short end of the stick. I find this is due to a number of factors that include societal stereotypes, cultural norms and to an extent, a sense of fear. No one wants to put themselves out there to someone different and get rejected. It’s a sad reality, but it’s a reality nonetheless.

When I was in high school, I stuck very closely to kids who were just like me in terms of how they held themselves, hobbies, intelligence and morals.To be blunt, I was pretty shallow. I wouldn’t give kids who I saw to be different a chance. I had a very close knit group of friends and while beneficial at the time, it really closed the door after high school to making new friends in my town. My girlfriend at the time did not help my poor mindset either. Not only did she dictate which of my friends she disapproved of, her mindset in a sense, dictated mine. As I ventured into college, I found that this negative trait stuck with me up until my sophomore year.

Freshman year came and I made a group of friends who were as close minded as I was. The amount of judgment that I posed on people who I didn’t even know was astonishing, I look back at it now and it’s shocking to me I had made any friends in college at all. My friends and I would make shallow comments about people we didn’t even know frequently, I was closed off from my peers in the classroom, and I had this mentality of “I’m better than they are”. Not the best way to start off a four year college career.

I think the best thing to ever happen to me came at the end of my freshman year and into my sophomore year.In my closed knit group of friends, one kid and I started to get on each others nerves. After a summer of barely talking, come fall I found out that I was excluded from the friend group I had once found comfort in. That fall of sophomore year was one of the hardest periods of my collegiate career to date, I ate by myself, I stayed in my room a lot, I barely talked in class and I was generally alone.

During this time period all I could do was reflect.

That period of having to start over once again made me realize that no one deserves to be excluded. No one deserves to be made fun of for their appearance or their style or their values.

That’s the realization that has impacted my life tremendously.

Junior year came around faster than a blink of an eye and with that, I continued to embrace this open minded idealism.I moved off campus, and even though I wasn’t as close distance wise to my friends, the effort to meet up and see each other came both ways. I joined clubs, I had new friends, and I became more proactive in the classroom to the point where going to class was a favorite part of my day. I began to say hello to random strangers and classmates alike as well as befriend everyone in my classes. Before I knew it, I would go into the journalism building on campus and be able to say hello to numerous students and faculty, all that I considered my friends.

Never had I experienced this type of happiness and pleasure before.I went against the societal stereotypes and cultural norms that had hindered me before when it came to embracing my new mindset. There is nothing wrong with being different or expressing who you truly want to be.When it comes to the people I meet, I befriend them based on who they are, not what they are.

Through my realization, I have spread my knowledge to people I come across that are willing to listen to me.I always say to them “be open minded, because you never know who your best friend may be.” I met my best friend my freshman year of college.She was this 5’ 2” hot headed girl with a big heart who lived in the dorm across from mine. Although my group of friends at the time didn’t take a liking to her, she was always there for me, through thick and thin. I believe my journey started there.

It’s not easy to change a mindset or to change a way of thinking; I don’t think everyone can do it. My close minded mindset has caused me to lose friends that I once had, but it has only opened the door for me to meet new and amazing people through my new mentality. I don’t expect everyone I meet to change who they are, I just hope that some take my advice for what it’s worth and can change other people’s lives.