Here is a little secret for all those who want to break free and fly into the real world. Shhhhhhhhh don’t tell anyone. Ok, are you ready? The real world is nuts. It is full of crazy people with blue hair, earrings all over their bodies, and crazy colored tatoos wherever their beautiful clean skin used to be. They speak strange languages that sounds something like english but not quite because the words have only four letters and the clothes they wear seems like they outgrew or went into the dryer by mistake because they are either too small, too tight, too short, or just plain too something. They walk on stilts because everyone seems to want to be taller than everyone else, or they are afraid of their heels touching the sidewalk. They also walk in pairs and groups and walk right past you as if you were invisible, sometimes taking your purse with them. They don’t care if they step on your foot, spill their coffee on you, or knock you down. Isn’t that strange? Yeah, you would think they were all on drugs or something especially since everyone seems to be talking to themselves. And everyone has something growing out of theirs ears, its so odd what this world has come to.
OK, in all seriousness hold on to all the chinuch you were taught in your homes and in your schools. Because believe me you are going to need it. Know that Hashem is always with you and is always watching over you. Remember that you represent HIM and your relationship with him. “Da lifnei me atah omed”. Know before whom you stand. You are always standing before Melech Malchei Hamelachim, whether you are at home, in High School or out in the big, big world. It doesn’t matter if you are sitting in a classroom or in an office. You have to be yourself in all situations. You have to represent YOU and not where you are. YOU are still a frum young person in any given situation. It matters none that everyone else around you are speaking with a fowl mouth. If YOU do not use that language then DON’T do it. It is NOT cool to change who YOU are because that is what everyone around you is doing. What is cool, is to be YOU, and make THEM respect YOU for who YOU are. It is not cool to raise your hemline because that is what everyone you are working with does. It is cool to be yourself and dress the way YOU dress and have them respect and admire you for having style and grace and still be modest. If you don’t wear slits, don’t start because you are now in the real world. If you don’t wear skirts above your knees don’t start because now you are in the real world. If you don’t wear your top button open, don’t start now. Don’t start changing who YOU are because you are now in the real world.
YOU are real, very real no matter which world you step into. And YOU can fit into any situation without changing who you are or your individual or moral values or beliefs just because YOU are no longer within the shelter of your home or school environment. YOU are NOT wrong just because you are not part of the majority or are not willing to conform to what they consider “normal”. YOU are respectable because you live up to your own moral code and you own your own value system that is NOT influenced by the NORM but is influenced by what is right and wrong and by a higher authority.
So please enjoy your freedom, but make sure the choices you make are your choices and good choices for you and are not influenced by what others do and what others want of you.
PLEASE TRY TO KEEP YOUR POSTS TO A MINIMUM OF WORDS.