Cassandra+Mc’s+Final+AmEx+2013+Speech

=Title of Speech=

//Why Not Simple Acceptance?//
=Text of Speech=

Well my fellow Amexers, we have finally made it. After all those late nights studying, all those essay prompts thrown at us, and those stinken chapter packets that were most likely completed using quizlet, we have made it to the end with summer starting this very week. We have grown as adults during this year, realizing that slack will get you no where, patience must be practiced, and success is earned with hard work. Many of us have become more grown up, although some may have some work to do, and many of us are ready for our last year of high school. But, and there is always a but, there is one thing that I honestly believe everyone, including myself, can work on: trying to see the in good others.

There have been countless of times throughout this year when I have witnessed gossiping, and most of the time that gossip involved a swarm of negativity towards someone. These people would talk about how so and so was so bratty, although a different b-word was used, and that they cared about no one but themselves. They mentioned how their annoying personality was extremely irritating to handle and that this person just infuriated them.

Hearing all this trash talk, I came to one conclusion: most of the time, the people who would trash talk about another person barely knew them. They did not get a chance to accept the “flaws” of this person in order to look at the beauties of their personality. You cannot just judge someone off of what others say about this person and what you see them act like. It’s just like a movie; just because people said the movie wasn’t too astounding and that the trailer did not grasp your attention doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give the movie a try. You may grow to appreciate it and enjoy it for all that it is and all that it is not.

Many of my friends complain about my lack of hating someone. They always joke around saying that Cassandra never hates anyone and that she thinks they are all angels. Yes it’s true. Although there have been many times when people have tested whether or not I can actually hate someone, I have never actually hated anyone; I have disliked, but never hated. And that is because I just don’t see the point in it. I do not want to base your personality off of someone else’s perception of it because it may seem entirely different to me then it does to someone else. I do not want to look across the classroom at someone and think to myself “Oh she is such a cynic” or “He is such an arrogant jerk” when I may barely know you. Why would you spend your time hating someone and loathing them every time you see them or hear them speak? All that time is wasted when you could use it for much more important and useful thoughts. And most of the time, when you hate someone, it is because you dislike their personality. But when have you actually tried to appreciate what makes them different from you? Other times, you hate someone because they had done you or a friend of yours wrong. But when have you tried to forgive them for the mistakes that they have made, realizing that you to are not perfect? In the end, what exactly is the point of hating someone? They may have never done anything to you, and if they have, you will never forget the past with them unless you forgive.

I am not saying that we should go around giving everyone hugs and kisses as if we lived in a Disney movie. What I am saying is that we must accept the fact that not everyone is going to be like us, not everyone is going to be an attraction to what we like to see in a person, and not everyone is going to be the honey pot to our Winnie the Pooh. If we could just learn to accept what makes others different than us then we would be much happier people. You do not need to love the person or even like them. You could just simply be neutral with how you feel about them.

Although some of you may not be, I am a believer in Jesus Christ. His word is my guidance. No I do not live my everyday by “What would Jesus do”, and I do not think that we will end up in the fiery burning pits of hell if we happen to want to punch the person next to us because they said something stupid. However, what I do think we will be punished for, or for those of you who do not believe in God karma will bite you in the butt, is judging someone by what they look like, act like, or seem like. Now I may be contradicting myself as I have complained in my previous writings about the use of profanity and the lack of clothing some people choose to wear. But I am not judging you for that. I am not calling you an idiot if you happen to slip out the s or f word here and there and I am not calling you promiscuous if you wear shorty short shorts and a low cut top. I simply do not prefer to hear or see these things over extendedly because I think it’s inappropriate. But on side note, I cannot understand the purpose of sagging. No I do not want to see your heart printed underwear but thank you for the offer.

The Lord’s words that I aim to live by more than anything else are “We walk by faith, not by sight” 2 Corinthians 5:7. We should not judge others by what they look like because often times their physical appearance does not level up to their internal appearance. For example, because I am so ‘ginormous’, if you didn’t know me you would probably think I was some sort of bully, which would then lead to hatred. But obviously I’m not. Appearance does not always reflect the characteristics of an individual, so we should not assume anything before we get to know them.

As I was watching the American Idol finale, even though that show is definitely sailing downhill, I listened to the words of Candice Grover’s new single. She pointed to the sky and sang “He says I am beautiful and wonderful, it don’t matter if I’m not perfect, I am beautiful, I’m not alone, and in His eyes I’m so worth it”. When we hate someone, we are forgetting that they are beautiful in their own special way. We adhere to hatred because we do not want to make the effort to become accustomed to the way they act.

Watching the same TV show, I happened to come across an Allstate commercial where a young girl was describing people and their actions. She stated, “There are man eating sharks in every ocean, but we still swim. Every second, somewhere in the world, lightening strikes. But we still play in the rain. Poisonous snakes can be found in 49 of the 50 states, but we still go looking for adventure. A car can crash. A house can crumble. But we still drive and love coming home. Because I think deep down we know that all the bad things that can happen in life, they can’t stop us from making our lives good”. As the commercial states, people live for good. We try our best in everything we do so that our lives can be prosperous. So when someone sparks your annoyance box inside of you, just realize that they are just trying to be themselves. They mean no harm. Just like the sharks and the lightening, let us not keep hatred from allowing us to live a good life.

This is what I want to see in the America that I grow old in. Strong individuals who do not succumb to hatred because of the past or because of intolerance. Acceptance towards those who may seem different then what society calls normal. Patience with those who tempt the feel of irritation and disgust. So this is for the future lawyer in the class, the future doctor, surgeon, CEO, politician, teacher, clerk, salesman, banker, hamburger flipper, mom, dad, whoever you may be. All of you. Let us not look at our neighbors with hatred and detestation, but with kindness and acceptance. Because in the end, you will want someone there for you when you step out into this challenging yet extraordinary adult world.

=Cite Your Sources=