I will never forget the first day that I was introduced to the activity of Speech and Debate. It was open house night at my old high school, and as an anxious yet excited freshman, I visited all of the extracurricular stations that were set up to learn more about what was offered. After a couple of stops, I ran into the director of Speech and Debate, who after having a brief conversation with, convinced me to try out for the team. Several logistical steps later, I became a part of something that would end up being one of the most important parts of my life. Four years have passed, and the experience of being a part of something has been, without a doubt, incredibly valuable.
Firstly, I quickly learned that having too much free time can create a lack of purpose in our day to day lives. As human beings, we bombard ourselves with questions of purpose. The lack of one, by having nothing to do, can leave us feeling empty and unvalued. As Friedrich Nietzsche put it, “he who has a why to live for can bear almost any how.” When we find something to be a part of, we are given tasks and responsibilities that answer that question of why. When we work towards some collective goal with those who share our same vision, daunting feelings of unimportance are not only overcome, but can seem almost trivial. What we do with our time matters, and doing nothing with it is a waste.
Secondly, being a part of something helps you understand who you are as a person. In my experience as a member of Speech and Debate, I learned that I am not easily satisfied. Weeks of constant wordsmithing can leave me wanting more out of my speech. It is only when I believe that every I is dotted and every T is crossed do I feel a sense of accomplishment. But my journey of identity also came from the numerous relationships that I created with friends in the activity. By being surrounded with those who had different outlooks on life, it forced me to evaluate my own life and how I came to be the person that I was.
Which leads me to the last value of being a part of something; it makes you grow as a person. If I were to meet the person I was four years ago, I would for sure slap myself. I was an immature, profoundly lost boy who thought that 420 blaze it jokes were the funniest things on Earth (granted, I’m not sure my sense of humor has evolved much). Besides learning how to deal with defeat in a competitive activity like Speech and Debate, I grew more by other means. Through the push and pull, back and forth conversations and interactions that I had with fellow teammates and coaches, I learned that I had a lot of growing up to do. And sure, I wasn’t alone, but it was only through others that I learned this. I can’t recall the number of conversations I had with teammates after school about politics and life in general. I can, however, tell you that because of those conversations, I learned things that I didn’t even know that I didn’t know. It was because of others that my worldview expanded, forever opening my eyes to new ideas and new beliefs.
Whatever it may be, I encourage you to be a part of something. Doing so not only gives you a sense of purpose and an understanding of who you are but also pushes you to grow in the process. If you’re already a part of something, good job! If you’re not, find something. It could end up being one of the most important decisions of your life.
