These last few days, I’ve checked Facebook and Twitter and seen vague references to college decisions. Everyone’s receiving life-changing news these days; everyone’s having to make life-changing choices.

SAT scores, scholarship results, debate camp decisions, and that’s just the beginning.

Behind every Facebook profile there is a young adult frantically making decisions, trying to keep up with the pace of life.

I feel uncomfortable pretending to be one of those people. I guess in essence I am, but when I take a step and look around, nothing major’s really going on in my life.

For the past few months, my life has been very chill. I can’t claim to personally know and feel what others are going through right now.

All I can do is be a friend to someone who is receiving life-changing news, and not overstep the boundaries of primarily being a listener right now.

Here is a fact: a friend receives new that they were rejected from their top choice of college. Visibly upset, he/she spews all sorts of nonsense, bashing others about their acceptances and bashing themselves for their apparent inadequacy.

Someone idiotically steps up to the plate and engages them in their arguments, chastising them for their irrationality.

I have a question for you:

Are you a total idiot?

Do you even know what they are feeling right now? I sure as hell don’t, but I do know that people, when distressed, can become ticking time bombs. You can never anticipate how they react to big news. Some turn inwards and cut themselves off from others; others spit poison and backlash at people that they care about.

Either way, it’s justified. You can’t combat human nature; it’s in all of us.

In the heat of the moment, people are concerned about one thing, and one thing only. Anyone trying to call attention to a “larger issue” comes off as reprimanding.

So when people receive bad news, I never attempt to defend the opposing side, but I less often make arguments and more often just…sit back and listen.

Because when people are swelling up with conflicting emotions, the last thing you to do is tighten up into a solid ball, allowing their exclamations to ricochet off the ceiling. You want to be the sponge to their emotions; you want to soak it up, contain it, absorb it, and let it slowly evaporate as they chill down to an appropriate temperature.

If you got good news, this week, congratulations! I’m so happy for you.

If you received bad news, this is what I tell everyone and this is what I mean:

Mope. Weeks like these are a tossup of emotions and everyone’s individual reaction does not warrant others’ judgment.

I don’t know what you’re feeling now. Mope.

The kid over there that was just accepted to her top choice does not know what you’re feeling. So mope.

Even the kid that was rejected from his top choice does not know what you specifically are feeling now. So mope.

You’ve nothing to prove to anyone.

 

New Skrillex album just dropped earlier this month:

I’m actually convinced that The Daily Post chose this prompt because this issue is infiltrating everyone’s lives at the moment.

• DP