If I Were In Your Shoes...

Well, it’s that time again. The time I’m sure every teenager loves.  Back to school.  Hard times for teachers, students, and freshmen.

 Anyways, back to school for me is kinda fun because you get to see new teachers, get into your new classes, and best of all hardly any work (at least in my case).  These are the final weeks, when the school shopping begins: to get  new clothes, shoes, supplies.   These are also the final weeks where procrastinaters finish up their summer homeworks (if any- well at least people like me- who have  future teachers that enjoy prepping their students even before they officially have them in class).

Truth be told, it doesn’t matter what school you go to but the scene is the same: the girl groups, the gangs, the preppies, the jocks, the cheerleaders, the “nerds”, bullies, the “wanna-be’s”, the cool teacher, and the “flirty” teacher, and even the drop-outs will be there.  But wouldn’t it be really funny, if school life was really like the way it’s protrayed in the movies “Grease” and “Grease 2″ where everybody goes in doing a song and dance?

Dear El G. Nie,

I have this acquaintance and she’s your normal teenage girl, right?  except for the fact that I think she cuts herself.   I can’t say she does because I don’t know her like that.  But, I saw a bunch of scratches on her arms.  When I asked her, she said a cat did it.   Maybe her mom may buy that lame story but I think there’s more to it than that.  I want to reach out to her in a way and be a friend but of course I don’t know how.  So how would you approach the situation?

From: Worried

Dear Worried,

If this girl is your friend and she trusts you,  she will open up.  You can talk straight and simply ask her,” Is everything okay?”  If she says yes, you can answer,  ”I don’t think it is; I think you’re hurting yourself.”  She can get upset and stop talking to you or she can open up to you and tell you why she’s hurting herself.  If this girl is hurting herself,  it can mean she is dealing with alot of emotions and doesn’t know how to express herself.  If it gets to the point where she confides in you and needs more help than you can give her,  help her go to an adult that she can trust.
 

From El G. Nie

Dear El G. Nie,

So I have this friend…how we became friends is really wierd…but anyway that’s not the problem.  The problem is he is always telling me about how he and his girl broke up and then he tells me, “ Oh, we’re back together”  like a week later.   It’s really annoying.  Then he’s always telling me how he just wants to find love and he only loves her and blah blah blah.  He’s even going to church.  [[He thinks that going to church will help]] but I don’t know if he’s doing that for the right reason.  I try to help him but I don’t know what to tell him or how to help, you know, because he doesn’t seem to listen to anything I have to say.   I’ve told him a billion and one things, literally, so please help me.

From, Confused_ Friend

Dear Confused_Friend,

It’s great that you want to help your friend by giving him advice.  Sometimes people don’t want to hear advice; they just want you to listen.  Sometimes being a friend means just listening. Yeah, sometimes it’s hard being a friend, but if your friend is worth it, just listen.  He’s probably not listening to you anyway.  He’s basically just venting.  Yes, that can be frustrating but he has to go through his own things to learn.  Just keep telling him to remember his value and that love is wonderful when given and received.  You can’t make someone love you and just like that you can’t just cut it off.   It’s not a light switch. If he thinks he loves this girl, that’s what’s going on.   

Okay, about him going to church, well if it’s a bible- based church, what harm can come out of it?   Sometimes people start something with something in mind and God makes other plans.  I once heard a man’s testimony that he went to a church to rob it, heard the preaching and ended up giving his life to the Lord.  So maybe with him going to church, one preaching, one song, one testimony, or one prayer can reach him and put him on the right path.   So if I were in your shoes, I would just listen.

From El G. Nie

Dear El G. Nie,

  Man I’m sooo tired of my friends…I don’t even know why I call them that sometimes, like really. One second we’re all cool having fun; the next, they’re treating me like crap. What am I supposed to do? It seems like that with all of my friends. They only come to me when they want something or if I’m the only one around. Then when someone “cooler” comes around they just leave me in the dust. I”m being so serious right now too. I’m not even exaggerating. It is what it is..what should I do?

From, Friends or no friends

Dear Friends or no Friends,

Well, as the saying goes…”with friends like that, you don’t need enemies”. If I were in your shoes, I would first confront them and tell them about what they’re doing. Just hear what they have to say and how they react. If they keep acting like jerks, then you tell them they can’t just use you like that. If they still do, then you know the drill: Find new friends!

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