One Way Mirror

“Let me be patient, let me be kind/ Make me unselfish without being blind” (Hill 5-6). I wish these lyrics by Lauryn Hill defined my life. I want it to be as if they were taken from a page of my life, but sometimes the road to living up to these words isn’t always so straight and narrow. In a past relationship, at a time when these words and the want to embed them into my character was far, far from my mind, the lack of compassion and empathy that I feel I did not show still troubles me to this day.

It was a high school relationship; I was a basketball player and he the captain of the football team. He, however, was no ordinary or stereotypical football or sports player. Not only did he have a sincere and honest compassion for life, he showed me more love and respect than anyone I have ever met even in the many years that have since passed. Now that I am older, I realize he was exposed to a lot of situations that would be difficult even in an adult’s life to handle. This may be one of the reasons why he was such a good person. I, however, was too busy living the good life and partying with girlfriends to notice just what I had, and that he too needed a friend. I feel as if I left him in a time of need, and looking back my reasons were so trivial.

It’s like I was looking through a one way mirror out at everyone else, but couldn’t see myself and my own wrong doings and setbacks. This memory has helped to define who I am and want to become because it makes me ask “Let me be patient, let me be kind/ Make me unselfish without being blind” (Hill 5-6).
Stephanie T. Section 012