Respect Your Elders

I'm taking a writing course and this is my first assignment.

Growing up I was taught that respecting my elders was a very important trait. This standard lead me to the belief that all of my elders were speaking from experience, wisdom and truthfully. I do still agree that you need to respect your elders, but you should never let their words belittle your self-respect. I believe that all bad teachers provide a crucial life lessons through their flaws. They are the examples of the adults you don’t want to be.   

In high school I was something of a geek. I participated in many extracurricular activities that were not appealing to the masses. I partook in several choir groups, theater and dance. I was not the homecoming queen, but I also wasn’t getting shoved into lockers. My junior year, after many failed attempts, I found young love. Like every teenage girl I have ever known I had longed for this moment. I had achieved the seemingly rare phenomena of finding a member of the opposite sex who I liked and who liked me. My friends were jealous, and I was elated. 

Having a boyfriend meant that I was to be the first of my friends to go on an actual date. He picked me up, payed for our movie and popcorn, and kissed me on my front porch. Looking back, every teenage milestone we achieved played like a Disney made for TV movie. For six months we were inseparable. Then one night while chatting on AOL Instant Messenger he called it quits. I was devastated. We were entering the summer, and what I had planned to be a season of drive-in movies and trips to the beach turned into a lot of self pity.

 

When we returned to school for our senior year the tension, at least on my end, was palpable. I had had an entire summer to process the breakup, and it had no settled well with me. I am not someone who hides their emotions very well, so everyone knew how I felt in that moment, including a teacher who knew both of us personally. She watched as I sulked for a few days before getting back into my busy schedule. I leaned on my friends, and he on his for support. His friends often ate lunch with our mutual teacher, something that didn’t seem strange to me at the time. 

A few weeks passed and I began to return to my normal self. I began speaking to mutual friends we shared again, realizing that a high school breakup would not be the end of my love life. I remember thinking how I would use this life lesson to grow from when I was older. I did not know then the lesson I would take away. It was a friend I had know for years who informed me of all the hurtful and hateful things my ex-boyfriend and teacher had been saying behind my back. A group of us sat together in awkward silence as this girl told me how an adult said they were sorry for me. How the teacher said I had no talent, and how pathetic I acted after the breakup. She even told the boy I dated that he had made the right decision. That I was a crazy girl and it was better to cut the ties early. 

Externally I shrugged it off, internally I fell apart. The thing that one adult said about me to a group of kids haunted me for years. It is difficult to get up on a stage and showcase a “talent.” I always think, “I’m not good enough for people to pay to see this.” To hear someone justify those fears completely tears you down. At least it did to me. It wasn’t until I was much older that I realized a few things. Any adult who shares their time gossiping with a group of impressionable teens needs a serious reality check.  Through this one act I realized that although I may show respect to my elders, I do not have to actively respect them. She showed me that the person I strive to be doesn’t speak poorly about others. The person I want to be uses any influence they may have to be a positive supporting influence to others. I’ve debated telling this woman how she changed my life. But honestly, she doesn’t deserve a second glance. 

Author's Note

Please rate this writing with this scale:
Does the essay have a clear purpose and direction? (10 points)
Does the essay include a clear, effective thesis statement and a compelling introduction?(10 points)
Does the essay offer supporting examples through storytelling?(10 points)
Does the essay include conflict as a central component to the story?(10 points)
Does the essay follow standard mechanics and grammar?(10 points)

??/50

Thanks everyone.

Reviews

[AaronFreitas]

I really liked the story T. Below are a few things I caught... self pity should be self-pity... and one sentence you just had no instead of not. I usually don't point out things like that but since it's an assignment I thought I would :)
To me the essay has a clear purpose. To explain how an elder such as a teacher can be such a negative impact if you allow that person to be but you didn't.
I like the introduction and it was clear to me. Yes on supporting examples through story telling. Yes it does include conflict as a central component and yes on mechanics and grammar except the two minor things I pointed out. I would grade it a 50/50 for a home work assignment :)

"and it had no settled well with me"

[T. Adams]

Thank you Aaron.

[Mr_M]

I liked this piece, I feel everyone reading this can relate to the experiences described. I loved the part about the teachers flaws. You hit the nail on the head. I have found I have been put off subjects all together because of terrible teaching. Solid writing x