question about suriving highschool

i'm a junior in highschool and i'm having alot of difficulty making it through. my school is very la preppy/ afluent in general. i like to stand out, but i'm sick of not having an accepting community. i long to have friends who i don't have to constantly explain myself to. i'm pretty sure once i get to college i'll be able to find a like-minded comunity, but how do i make it through now? is this an issue alot of other hippys have? thanks, peace!
sal

 

i don't know what to tell you. i had to leave. high school was a toxic environment for me. i suggest taking the GED and going to a community college if you want to continue your education. you'll probably find the atmosphere a lot more mature and accepting.

 

drop out haha

 

i don't really feel looked down upon because of class, but i deffinetly feel like people don't accept my beliefs. evey day people will say things just to offend me or try to change my views. dropping out really isn't an option unless i run away, and i don't want to hurt my mom by doing that. i'm interested in so many things, but hiking, baking vegan, and climbing aren't activities anyone i know is interested in.

 

I know how you feel man. Acceptance can be hard.....I somehow lucked out though and found some people who understand me. I'd love to give advice but I really dunno what to say. Sorry man...I guess I'm no help.

 

why not look for people in the community outside of school who share your interests? hiking, baking vegan and climbing are all activities you can usually find people doing together. do you have a local food co-op? they often give classes in stuff like vegan cooking. taking one would be a way to meet people. they usually have bulletin boards people use to connect with those who share their interests. same with recreational equipment stores for things like hiking or climbing.

 

i'm an uberliberal. i'm very passionate about non-human animal rights, the environment, pacifism, gay marriage(just to name a few). i deffinetly think finding some sort of orginization to participate in is a great idea, thanks lady.

 

Hi Salchica. You won't find any real progressives in college
either. Colleges are where the children of the elite learn
the skills necessary to become greater and lesser leaders
of The Machine. They talk a great game, but act quite
differently.

In the '60's, the "College Radicals" were shocked and
appalled when the real hippies started acting on their
wonderful ideas: Moving out into the country and trying
to build a new and better civilization.

You seem to want to have all the benefits of being "straight"
and to be progressive also.

Can't be done. Sorry. Actions speak louder than words.

Littlefoot

 

You're in a tough situation i can kind of relate having a somewhat similar situation. Many of my friends arent like me at all and may even have different views that only thing is they accept my ideas and dont put me down for it. What i can suggest is just to maybe give some people a shot. There's got to be some people who have the same interests as you or believe the same thing.
If people judged me just by looking at me they would probably never know what kind of person I really am because I necessarily
come off as a "hippie" type person 24/7 but inisde I am who i am. For now I try not to conform and act like myself - I do consider a lot of my friends conformists in a way but they're pretty good people most of the time so for now i can deal .. but i definelty cannot wait for college where I can meet more likeminded people as well.

good luck
remember just because someone may dress or act a certain way doesnt mean they dont secretly have a love for vegan cooking or hiking as well
try to deal with it as best as you can - only 2 more years lol
hope i could help?

 

I think the key here is that you are searching for something that only exists within yourself. We all from time to time question our position on this earth, wondering if we're revolving around the earth on our own momentum or if the universe is really propelling it all forward. This all gives us the illusion that we are in control, but in fact we are all on a path to the same destination, peace. Do not feel that you can not be friends with those who are not like minded. You may learn more from someone who you disagree with then you will ever learn from a best friend.

Try to keep an open mind.
Know yourself and know that you will find brothers and sisters who support you along your path, but in order to find them you must keep walking.

)
Be Well,
Hipstickadeedoo-2ya

 

do what you think is right.

if school doesnt feel right then think of an alternative.
there are so many choices and different things you can do.

 

To be my age back in the 1960's!!!
I would love it

 

I am lucky, I never really gave a shit what people thought of me.

 

i remember when i was back in high school it seemed like i was always moving on the fringe...at times it could be so painful and lonely. however, i never changed who i was to fit in (one of the best decisions i've ever made). you can get through this sister but you have to take each day as it comes. try to find a common ground...things aren't always as they seem...especially in the teenage realms.

in highschool alot of folks are just starting to sprout their view of the world...feelings/vibes are really strong. just know that perhaps there are folks in your school that share your views but are afraid to break free of the social norm. also, how do you project what you believe on others? are you passing on your message with kindness or are you ramming it down others throats? it's all about perspective...

keep on being you...
shanti

i

 

In grade 10 I decided to stop hanging out with all the asshole kids. So after that I had like... 3 really good friends (and a few other people I hung out with mainly at school). I wouldn't hang out with kids that talked bad about people behind there backs all the time. Or talked badly about girls. It just bugged me way to much I decided they were not worth it. I thought it would be hard, cause I was basically giving up all my friends cause they mainly hung out in larger groups. However it wasn't and I am so glad I did it.

After that I got new friends, from all grades and groups. Mainly only hung out with people one on one or in groups of three. Get to know people a lot better and build more trusting relationships I think that way. Plus even 1 asshole kid talking shit about people in a group of 10 would ruin my time anyway.

 

Hahaha, indeed - I thrived on debate (intelligent debate). Insults and "fuck you hippie" I just ignored. Physical violence rarely happened.. but when it did I was always the victor (no, not the "moral victor" i.e losing, I really kicked seven shades of shit outta those punks).

 

I dropped out and went back and dropped out, and joined a new school and then dropped out.
i haven't graduated high school.
In grade 2 when i moved to a conservative town, i was shunned because my parents had long hair. It was really hard for me to make friends mostly because everyone was so set in their ways. they called us the commies. no one would allow their kids to come over, or even trick or treat at our house. it was so pathetic

i learned to get along without the negative air by being myself, saying and doing what i felt, no matter what people thought of me.

you have two options:
conform (which is totally bogus because you lose yourself)
or
Find yourself (and be true to who you are and how you feel)

school is so easy to do over through correspondence you can focus on your education and not have to worry about the miniscule matters of what every body else is doing.

Be true to you

 

School was a nightmare of either trying to be something I was not, or being alone. I chose being alone, which led me to befriending the other loners. Otherwise, I learned nothing but the feel of being surrounded by vicious idiots. I was an honor student until the day I quit. 16th birthday. I never looked back and was never sorry.

College is not all it's cracked up to be. Just a way to put off growing up, waste more of someone's money and time. Unless of course you are planning on being a doctor or something that REQUIRES credentials... Most folks I know who went to college ended up not using their "education" any more than I used mine.

Serious education happens when you have a chance to figure out what you are really into and then do it on your own.

 

As I have heard from many adults, and learned myself, high school is one of the toughest, hardest, most difficult things you will ever go through.
You can either drop out, or be strong. You've only got one more year. I know it sounds like a lot, but it'll be over before you know it if you just focus on your studies and IGNORE. Yes, I know its hard; I went to high school in the foster system which doesn't just have bullies and class clowns, but gangs and racism and violence and hate.

 

Not sure how this might fit in your situation, but perhaps you'd be more comfortable with your beliefs if you didn't give others an opportunity to oppose them. I'm pretty sure it isn't written anywhere that in order to have a belief, one must announce it in public. It's been a few years since high school, but I don't think inter-personal dynamics have changed that much over years - so if you don't wear these (non-mainstream beliefs) on your sleeve - so to speak - then those who really have an interest in knowing you, and the things you believe - will emerge and interact with you. If none do, then perhaps they're so contradictory with their mainstream values that there can be no connection. While I do understand that being accepted is important, being accepted for who you are - and what you believe are even more important in the long run.