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Challenge Day: the second time |
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Remember that long entry I wrote a ways back about Challenge Day? Well, I did it again, and this time with people I knew. It was one fourth of my class. (Everyone else will go in the following three days). I was nervous. Very nervous. The groups were divided by English teacher, and my English teacher had the Friday before read to all of us a very biased article about Challenge Day. The class did NOT have a good attitude about it after that (except basically me and one other girl, who knew about Challenge Day. We spent the entire next period ranting in the library. xD)
And it did start out awkward. No one seemed to dance, save for the adults. But... but people started to loosen up after a bit. Especially when we played epic volleyball. Dude. Epic giant ball, all sitting, and screaming involved.
Then we got into our families. I liked my family~ The kids were really nice people, and the two adults (not every group had two adults) were easy to relate to, particularily the guy who was the basketball coach.
And I saw amazing things today. I told my little family things.... and was instantly given much affection. The power shuffle...
That line. That line saw so many people cross time and time again. I saw people cross I didn't expect to keep crossing. I saw people who I suddenly saw a new side of, aside from the loud mouth clown they tended to act like in class.
And I saw love. It was... so many people, realizing, holding, supporting...
And the second to last question. It was different, these questions, a bit from the one I did with Amigos.
"Cross the line if you have ever been hurt, put down, or have had a rumor spread about you by someone in this room."
A lot of people crossed. A lot of people didn't. I saw people on the side that didn't crying here and there. I noticed a lot of people who had been my harrassers had crossed as well. People finally saw. Finally, after so many years, people finally saw what everyone had gone through, was going through, that they aren't so different.
I hold so much respect for those people who crossed when I didn't have to. So much. They're still standing, they're still strong. And to everyone who didn't, who showed their love with the hand sign for "I love you", showing that they saw, they heard them. So much respect...
We got to talk to our families after that again... and then... then we went around and gave hugs, apologizing and clearing the air.
Almost immediately a girl comes up to me and just holds out her arms. She apologized for any time she had put me down, any time she had teased me, and said she had never meant to hurt me. And I believe her, completely. I do not have a doubt in her mind that what she said is completely true. I used to find her annoying, but we've all matured. I think she's amazing for doing that.
After, I suddenly heard someone call my name and another girl, this one from elementary school came running up and hugged me tightly. Someone I wasn't expecting, really.
"You went through so much ___(s) in elementary school, and you never deserved a bit of it."
It was something I've been wanting to hear for years. Years. Her apology made up for everyone who had ever teased me in elementary school. Those were long years.
We wrote letters to people. I wrote one to my brother, and after, one to her, saying how greatful I was to hear that and how much it meant to me.
I wish I could tell everyone now that I forgive them. I no longer hold any grudge, any hard feelings against them. I don't care that it's taken until our junior year. I feel so relieved, so... so... happy.
I think this will really, really make a huge difference in our lives. I think our grade was in need of some hard reality. I think... I think we can all be a little more free.
Becca, I am looking forward to showing off our amazing booty dancing skills tomorrow in choir.
To everyone...
I love you.
 nwoy · Tue Oct 14, 2008 @ 12:20am · 2 Comments |
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