Information Related to "Born to Succeed!"
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The
PA cracked on and the principal began to speak in a raspy, serious and
sorrowful tone: "I have a tragic incident to relate
to you, and I want you all to listen and think about it. Sara Hughes,
a sophomore here, committed suicide yesterday..."
Sara Hughes—the students sat quietly remembering or trying to remember her. Just last Friday some of the students had been listening to the radio and had heard Sara call in. Upon naming the top 10 hits in order, she had been awarded a pizza party for herself and 25 of her friends. But she had not giggled with excitement as most people did when they won. She simply told the DJ, "Thank you—but I don't have 25 friends." The DJ had tried to persuade her, but she protested, "No, really, I don't have any friends," and with a click she was off the line.
Only a week before she had been alive and now she was dead. Students shivered at the thought and turned their attention back to the scratchy voice of the principal: "Please look around you at your classmates. Is there anyone who is left out all the time, anyone who has no friends? Please tell your teacher if you know of anyone."
When I heard about this true story, it touched the very core of my being. Why? Because I have been down that road of loneliness myself and I am sure that many of you have too. But, thankfully, I chose to handle it in a different way. The fact is, many of us, young and old alike, may feel left out or that we do not fit in. But most of us get back up and get going again. What happened to Sara that she would take such a drastic action? How could she have dealt with this differently, and how could other students around her have helped her?
It all starts with the mind and what we put into our minds about ourselves and others.
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Other Articles by Janet Treadway
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