Personal essay literacy example

To Be Kind

Throughout my years of going to school, teachers always give the advice of being kind and helping others. Even my parents tell me to do acts of kindness and help others. I always try my best in helping and people should too. Although I believe in those ideas, I feel some students do not follow these rules, but instead disregard the advice given. Schools have assemblies on including others and not bullying, but what does it actually look like to be kind? In a bullying assembly I mostly saw students laughing, on their phones, and eating Cheez-its, ignoring the speaker that is there for the school to inform students on including others and notice other students. I question, why do people not care? Are they too busy to get involved? Have they not been a situation where they needed help? I think it’s because they feel it is not necessary to get involved and it does not affect them. During my freshman year of high school, I saw a student sitting alone at the lunch table. But just like any other person I thought nothing about it. It’s high school, we’re probably both freshman: lost, confused, and no idea where to go.

Unexpected Acquaintance

Eventually, a couple weeks go by and the student I saw sitting alone is still sitting alone. Maybe he is waiting for his friends to walk in to the lunch room. Thinking to myself on what I should do. I asked my friends ‘ Should we invite that kid to our table tomorrow? they didn’t respond as they were engulfed in their smartphones. So I made the decision that I would ask him. I waited for the next day in lunch to sit at his table. I presented myself to him and asked if he was new here. He wasn’t from Plainfield and said that he came from Wheaton North High School. Turns out he was not a freshman like me, but a junior in a new school, a new environment, timid with no new friends. At the end of lunch we decided to walk with each other to class as we were going in the same direction and to better know one another. From that day forward, we became friends and he sat with my friends and I.

What i Understood

Nearing the end of the school year, with our last lunch together, he thanked me for sitting with him when he was alone. He hoped that we would be in the same lunch together the following year. I am grateful for having the courage to sit next to him because now we’re friends. Even though it was a small act to talk to the student, it really benefited the both of us. We are still friends to this day. I would never give up anything in this world to not be friends with the student. If I had the chance I would invite a student sitting alone again.