Outliers

The very notion of outliers in middle school intrigues me. What I remember about being in middle school is that everyone felt like they were left out. We all tried desperately to do whatever we could to fit in. For some, however, this is far easier than for others. Students who are genuinely different from the rest of the mob-- or students who do not try to be a part of it, often face intense criticism from their peers. This can result in many different types off bullying, which has caused countless tweens extreme pain.

The article Coming Out in Middle School by, Benoit Denizet-Lewis, tugged at my emotions in many ways (URL: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/27/magazine/27out-t.html?pagewanted=1&_r=5&hpw). While the middle school students in the article seemed to be so comfortable with their sexuality, my heart couldn't help but go out to them. I remember feeling so insecure about talking to boys or talking to people about my crushes, and I can't imagine how it would feel to be the only openly gay student in a middle school. The students in this article showed courage and strength beyond their years. I can't help but be inspired by the success these students have had in mobilizing both gay and straight people to come together to fight homophobia. These are the role models we need to be looking to for guidance.

The New York Times article, Recession Drives Surge in Youth Runaways (URL: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/26/us/26runaway.html?pagewanted=3&_r=5) was absolutely heartbreaking. I don't know how we, as a society, can sit idly by and watch so many youth fall through the cracks. Reading about families that kick out kids because money is tight makes me angry. It's bad enough the way seniors have been pushed out of the family home, but for it to happen to tweens and teens in incomprehensible to me. Schools are failing them, their families are failing them, society is failing them. What can we do? How can we help? American society doesn't generally like to get down in the muck and face some of the ugly truths that surround us. But by turning our backs and tuning out, we are forgetting about the most valuable resource this country has-- it's people.

As a footnote, I must add that one of my closest friends ran away from home at the age of twelve. He is one of the strongest people I know-- always looking out for others, always fighting for the underdog. Now, he is married, with a good job, two kids and a house. The tween runaway may have a harder time succeeding than others, but they might also have gained the strength to be able to surmount those obstacles.

Denizet-Lewis, B. (2009, September 23). Coming out in middle school. New York Times. Retrieved June 28, 2010 from: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/27/magazine/27out-t.html?_r=6&pagewanted=1&hpw