We’re all victims of it and guilty of it. We look around at people and think thoughts: sometimes good, other times bad. Judging. So why do we do this? It is 2018 and people still have issues with others. Whether it’d be gender identity, fashion sense, or actions, we tend to judge. Why do we care what others do? Why can’t everyone just live their lives and live in unity? There is no answer for these questions. Judging is a natural instinct for many and there is nothing that can stop these thoughts.

Often times when I think whether or not to perform an action, I think to myself, “What are people going to think of me if I do this?”

I’ve begun to realize this: Why do I care what people think? The point is people are going to talk. They’re going to talk about you to their friends and family about their opinion on what you are doing.

Before I decided to write articles for the Odyssey, one of my main thoughts was “what are people going to say about me doing this?” The night I pressed submit on my first article I had instant regrets. What did I just put out to the world? I just made a mistake.

A few days later I received an email from The Odyssey that stated:

“Hi Jenna Riech. Congratulations your article is now published.” With the subject titled “Your article is live on Odyssey.” I clicked on the email, and opened the article. It was there. On a real website, not just a document on my computer any longer. It was out there and my friends and family were going to see it.

I shared it on Facebook, Snapchat, and other social media outlets and got instant responses from close friends, family, and friends I have not spoken to in a while saying “wow,” “this is so relatable,” “congrats Jenna! Great job.” I was in shock. People liked what I put into the world.

Then I asked myself, "Why was I nervous?"

People are going to talk and won't change. No matter what actions you make or do in the world, they are going to be judged. People I have never heard of are going to/have read my articles. What will they say about it? Something. Anything. It’s inevitable.

So why do we judge? Why are we judging others? Why do we care so much about what other people do? Why can’t we just do what we want to do? The answer is we can, we just have to ignore what people are going to say, because people will talk. We can’t care what they are going to say.

People asked me why I am writing for The Odyssey. I am writing for Odyssey because I enjoy it. I found myself constantly reading these articles, constantly relating, so I figured why not give people another outlet and someone else they can relate to? So that’s what I’m doing.

Nobody's perfect. Judge away.