Trade Your Highlighter for a Pen

We find comfort in the tried and true.

In a world where we are bombarded with information telling us what to wear, how to act, and who to follow,

We stick to precedent.

We stick with “what works”.

I'm here to tell a story,

a story of two students. The first would come to class early, raise his hand to speak in class, always ask to go to the restroom, and nod his head in agreement for every lecture while ignoring his peers.

He is a highlighter. He listens, follows, and seeks approval for all of his work. And while this is all well and good, he limits himself by never trusting his own ideas and opinions. He believes he is successful because he does what others ask him to do.

And the second student,

She rarely makes it to class on time. She forgets to turn her phone off in class, and when it rings she usually goes outside to answer it, her voice audible to the entire class. She never speaks out, but is usually seen whispering to her peers. She will most likely not pass the class, but she isn’t surprised as this is what she receives in all her English courses. Is she a highlighter?

Yes.

On the surface, they seem like opposites. He craves approval and she resists it. But in the end, they both see themselves as subordinates. That their opinions don’t matter. That they can get through their days swallowing everyone else’s thoughts and ideas without voicing any of their own.

It is this culture that we need to break through. What’s the point of fitting ourselves into lives that have already been created and lived? What’s the point of limiting ourselves to the tried and true? What’s the point of living a life where our thoughts don’t matter?

Because they do matter. By finding our voice and sharing it with the world, we can make an impact. By trading in our highlighters for pens, we have the ability to make change happen. By speaking up, we will no longer stand by, but stand up to the challenges society faces today.

And this I find awesome. 

This poem is about: 
Our world

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