School, Prejudice and Survival

Chapter two, Part one

Chapter 2: Survival of the Fittest

Have you ever hear the phrase 'survival of the fittest'? It is in reference to the way animals adapt to their surroundings. The creatures that fit their habitats well survive, others do not.  

This is how I like to see the people in my school, as all have adapted in their own ways to make their lives better for themselves. Personally, I like to believe I can adapt to any surrounding and live in any condition. That is why I create my own list (currently hanging by my bed), which I like to call 'Rules for Survival'.                                                                                                                                                                                 Secondary school is a cruel, unforgiving place to be for those who do not adapt correctly. It's where many people shape their lives and their personality just to fit in. For me, it is genuinely very fun. I'm not one to change my entire life just to fit in, as I have discovered that individual people are much more special and tend to have a better time being themselves than those who have to act their way through the day. It is another major difference between the Handbag bitches and the Queens- false versus true.                                                                                                                                                                                      My rules for survival started out as a way to better my life, now they tend to be things I discover about life that I use to my advantage. Plus, creating this list is a great way to pass the time in boring lessons. I only put the truly worthy rules onto the official list,because I tend to find new ones day after day. My current list is pretty short, as all the other ones I use are kept in my brain for easy access. The list is for the important ones:

Rule #1 :

Always be yourself- living a lie sucks.

Rule #2 :

Learn from your mistakes- this cliche rule is surprisingly helpful.

Rule #3 :

Remember who to trust- don't be a sucker for apologies, as these people will only hurt you. You never know how much venom a snake has.

Rule #4 :

Don't get involved in drama. This one speaks for itself.

Rule #5 :

Don't ask for favours- they always backfire, and turn around to bite you.

Rule #6 :

Don't set goals- as long as you are happy, you have nothing to aspire for.

I stand by these rules strongly, as they apply to life all over. Nothing on the official list is school related, as they will not help anyone after they leave school. Those rules are temporary.

In the same way I like to use my survival guides, I like to relate the people in my school to their spirit animals. Genuinely, I don't believe in all that hippie crap, but I find there is often a deeper meaning in lots of them.                                                                                                                                                                                         To me, spirit animals refer to how a person acts, the decisions they make, and who they are as a person. It works similarly with colours, which can relate to almost everything. I see myself as a faint reddish-orange. 

 Scarlett is an owl. Wise and widely looked up too, she is a born leader. Her colour is strong, the yellow of the sun that sustains us all, yet yellow is a curious colour. If it is not strong enough, it will be overlooked.

 Naomi is a Gazelle. Graceful and beautiful in everything she does. However, what happens if you startle a gazelle? They run. They run fast. Her colour is silver, like the moon that lights the darkness of night, yet is weak without the right people to notice that power. 

 Chrissie is a tough one. She has always been a good friend of mine, yet I know from past experience that the slightest move can make her your worst enemy. Definately not one to mess with. Although, when her anger has been directed at me, she has never confronted it. I think shes scared of what I know. As much as I love her, I'm not afraid to stop her if she starts something that is wrong. That's why Chrissie is a snake. Snakes don't bother you unless you bother them first, and they are not afraid to attack those weaker than them if they see fit. At least they are smart enough to know when to stop fighting. Her colour changes with her actions, most the time she is green, like the spring that calms those affected by winter. When she does something wrong, she becomes red. Like fire, strong and deadly. I break rule 3 by being friends with her, but if you tread carefully she is a great friend to have. 

 My best friend, Matt, is a hummingbird. He can be everywhere at once, multitasking his way through his life. However, hummingbirds have issues with fitting under a single breed, as does Matt. His life will never be the easiest, but I know he knows that and he accepted it long ago. His colour is dark blue, pure and strong throughout.

I tend to get to know my friends on levels maybe even they didn't know they have, since I am then more likely to remember them as an individual, not as the group of friends they have.

I'm sure that I am throwing many names at you, and you must be wondering: How am I supposed to remember all of this? You don't have to. My friends drift into my life often on a daily basis, but there are only a few who you may need to know about. The people I have listed with their colours and animals are the ones who tend to have the biggest impact on my life.

 When I sit in those boring lessons that just don't appeal to me, I have a hobby of analyzing the place I am in. The people, the room, the atmosphere and anything I find interesting. I find it completely fascinating when the weather matches the mood both me and the people around me are in (it's called pathetic fallacy); it makes me feel as though we are all one with the world and each other. Why should people have to be separate when we are all of the same species anyway? Why is it that those who are different from what is deemed 'normal' are pushed aside?                                                                                 Common train of thought I have nowadays. With Matt's recent discovery about himself I tend to let myself sink into a spiraling vortex of thoughts and emotions- which can go horribly wrong sometimes. If I let myself sink too deep, I find it hard to get out until someone throws me a rope. I couldn't survive by myself, even if I am defeating others in the fight for survival.

Unfortunately, falling into my vortex is becoming more and more common. Have you ever been reading a textbook when suddenly you are overwhelmed by the insignificance of your life? Ever been talking to a friend and momentarily realizing that one day you will both be dead and nothing will matter anymore? I'm pretty sure it's just a teenager thing, but I'm telling you, boy does that ruin your day.                                                                                                                                                                                                     It's not just when I'm with people either. They have found a way into my dreams. Recently, I have started keeping a dream journal to keep on top of all of this, but it seems to be more of a nightmare log than anything else. I just hope Scarlett doesn't find it, she's much too innocent to be bombarded with my analyzing of nightmares day after day.