| TEEN SCENE |  |
THE IMPORTANCE OF FRIENDSHIP | ||
by Jackie Klapak Greetings, readers! I am currently typing this column from Ball State’s campus. I am attending the residential high school right on the campus called The Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics, and Humanities. It’s a two-year high school for juniors and seniors. As this is my first year, I have had to get used to a lot of new and different ways of life. I have already learned so much not only about other people, but about myself as well. This month, I would like to talk about friendship and my experiences thus far in dealing with friends. According to Webster’s Dictionary, a friend is “ a person attached to another by feelings of affection or personal regard.” I thought about this definition a lot. The phrase may be true — in fact, I think it is very true, but it’s rather general and somewhat ambiguous. I guess I figured that it would be a little more detailed, but I suppose I’ll just have to fill in the details myself. There are many degrees of friendship, in my opinion. Some people are merely a bit more than acquaintances, and some people are so close that it seems as if they share a wavelength. No matter how close of a friend a person is, he or she helps another’s life in countless ways. I don’t think many people truly understand how much of an effect every single action has. One of the laws of physics states that – “For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.” Sometimes just letting someone know that you are there for him or her, whether that person is having the best time of his or her life or the worst, means the world, even if you don’t actually do anything. From kindergarten up to eighth grade, I attended school at Our Lady of Grace in Highland. Our graduating class consisted of twenty-three teenagers. We had known each other for nine years, and it seemed as if we’d never grow apart. Well, change is inevitable, and we all went our separate ways when we began high school. We all had some major curve balls thrown at us in some way, and it seemed as if we were growing more and more distant. I had supposed we were, but just this summer, a group of us met up, and I realized one of the true beauties of friendship: you can just pick up where you left off. It had been months, even years, since some of us had seen each other, but when we got together and just sat, talking and joking, it was as if not a day had passed. I think that in this busy world, people forget sometimes what really matters. They get so caught up in what’s coming next, in what the future has to hold, that they fail to remember to spend time with friends. Some people don’t understand that friends are crucial to have—they share in joy and success, they help carry the burdens of heavy loads, and most of all, they bring happiness. People take friends for granted, figuring that their friends will always be alive and well. Although everyone cares about their friends, sometimes people forget to show it. They forget to say “thanks,” or “I love you.” I think these phrases are used entirely too sparingly. Often times, when people’s lives change, they think they won’t be able to balance spending time and talking to different groups of friends, so they forget about their old friends and get too caught up with new ones. I think it’s important to remember to balance it out. Just because a person moves away doesn’t mean that they should give less attention to old friends, although it is necessary to acquire new friends, too. Just as with anything in life, moderation is the key. The last point I would like to make about friends, is that there is no mold or restrictions that make a person a friend. People confine themselves by thinking that a friend must have the same interests, be the same age, and have similar personal or social situations. The people who stick to ridiculous beliefs like this are hurting themselves beyond measure. If a person is a true friend to someone else, they aren’t bothered by little details or setbacks—they help someone overcome barricades no matter what. Friends are absolutely instrumental to a person’s success, no matter who the friend is or their background. I have my own definition of a friend. I believe that a friend is a person who stands beside you no matter what, who will give you a shoulder to cry on at three in the morning or will share your tears of joy in times of success. A true friend worries about what is best for you, even it if hurts them beyond measure. They love you unconditionally and will never compromise you for something else. I think that about covers it.
THIS TEEN TURNS ON...This month, I listened to The Barenaked Ladies Greatest Hits CD, spanning the songs from 1991 to 2001. The songs are extremely interesting. Many people are familiar with “If I Had a Million Dollars,” which is my absolute favorite song on the CD. When I first heard it, I thought it was a joke that a commercial was doing. I think that song is definitely weird in a good way. The other songs were very enjoyable, as well. They were all very driven and alive. I think what the most appealing aspect of this CD is that it’s obvious that the band members are just regular guys dealing with everyday problems — it’s very easy to relate to their music. Sometimes it’s difficult to find artists who don’t seem too caught up in their lives of stardom. I strongly suggest this CD to you if you’re in a laid-back and open mood, ready to laugh. I want to thank my friend Brittany (whom I met at band camp many years ago) for buying the CD for me. (Thanks, Britt!) This month, I am checking out AFI’s Sing the Sorrow. As always, I welcome your emails: Jackie@midwestbeat.com | ||
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