This Sad World

I don’t know which emotion is stronger at the moment. Is it the shock or is it the sadness I feel?

If you’ve ever known someone since you were a kid, you’ll understand. There are those few months or years that go by when you barely see them and hardly even notice them and then comes the day when you realise you don’t even recognise them.

Since I joined Facebook, it has been happening increasingly often. I’ll see some friend I knew from primary school snuggled up to their boyfriend or girlfriend in their ‘dp’ or writing about some party they were at last night and how smashed they were. I suppose at first I feel surprised. I’m suddenly aware of how much time has passed and I struggle to face the truth.

The truth is they are from an entirely different world to me. The truth is this is what all their friends are doing, this is what society expects of them. In other words, their behaviour, their emo hair, their piercings and their language are completely normal.

Yet I can’t erase the image of those kids I once knew. That quiet guy who never spoke has suddenly become the city’s most infamous partier and underage drinker, widely known for the capacity he can down. That beautiful girl with the perfect smile is caught smoking on the way to school. Looking back on my kindergarten photos, I never would have known this boy would end up in jail.

Over the years my heart has broken time and again as I accidentally overhear the news that yet another has lost their virginity. In front of my very eyes they all chip in to buy a packet of cigarettes, while we’re at church.

They’re not ashamed! To them it’s normal. It’s expected! They don’t know any better. They don’t know any other way of life. I’ve grown to accept that. It still hurts but I’ve come to terms with it.

Yet here I am, finding myself in the same situation, yet this time it is happening with their younger brothers and sisters. 14 years old and younger! The young kids I once knew are now acting like adults. They’re caking on the eyeliner, drinking in the black hair dye, consuming ridiculous amounts of alcohol and having sex. At 14, at 13, at 12.

What is this world coming to? What is this world we are living in? Can anybody else see it? Because I know it’s not all in my mind.

Straight In A Crooked World

Stand up for what you believe. You may feel like you’re isolating yourself but you might actually find friends.

I had a friend from church brag about his drinking habits. Everyone knows about it and we’re concerned for him. Of course, being underage and unexperienced I don’t really pass judgement or preach at him. But the other day when he posted something about drinking on Facebook I just said, “You seriously have nothing better to do?” I then got accused of preaching at him, being underage and that I wouldn’t understand.

I told him I wasn’t preaching, I just thought he could do something more productive with his time. I reminded him that he’s a creative person and could focus on that and encouraged him by saying that he’s fun to be around sober, he doesn’t need to drink. Also for the attack aimed at me I said that I didn’t see being underage putting any restrictions on young people from drinking now and that I just don’t care for it.

He was still a bit defensive so I said I’d mind my own business and that I trusted he knew what he was doing. I reminded him that I only said it because I care about him.

It wasn’t hard for me to say. I had to think about it before I said it but I believe it is important. I guess I became an annoyance to him and put myself out on a limb when so many of my friends drink. But the amazing thing was that heaps of people read the conversation I had with him and thanked me for standing up to him. I said things they wished they could say to him. These people care for him too and it gives them hope see people like me do that.

I’m not trying to hype myself or my actions up. I just want this to be an example of something you could do. It might be a friend, a brother, a sister, a father or a mother. You’re not alone the world needs people like you and me to set things straight in such a crooked world. if you are in a position to do something do it. Say it. Care for them. But in saying that you need to be respectful. You need to know that sometimes it will come flying back in your face. Do you think people really want to be rebuked? Of course not! Do it in love. Let them know that you care and love them no matter what.  That you belive they are worth more.

Goodluck!