Junior year is starting soon and all I can think about is being judged. I have unique talents that I’m proud to possess, but the 3000 people that surround me are naturally unaware. All they can see are the failures and unattractive qualities I have added into my personality. I know I can be frank and rude without even realizing it, and tend to make too many excuses, but that is not the whole me. Even though that’s all they see. Even though, they do not know me. They do not know that I aim to document and preserve the natural beauty of our world. They do not know that I can sense what they are feeling. All they know is that I am another human being, living a life behind a mask.

But I guess this is what makes up our lives. I guess one of the reasons we are, or were sent to this world was to learn to understand. Understand that the people around us and the environment we live in, all live behind a mask. And we must learn how to be unaffected by the appearances and actions the people behind the mask possess and take. Although, this seems impossible. Being able to understand means being able to deal with people, being able to deal with their judgment, and their criticism. But is it really that easy to ignore the haunting feeling that you are constantly being watched? Is it really that easy to ignore the feeling that you are building a reputation for yourself, that may only consist of negative actions?

I guess in the end, all you can do is accept that the actions you have taken – though they may have been unacceptable by some – make up who you are and what you may do in the future. I don’t know about you, but I guess I will just have to learn to embrace the judgment, failures, masks, and criticism, and attempt to live my life learning to understand them.

So let me ask you, in the end, how are you going to accept it?