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                                                     Loyalty is so Important

When I was a young child, the first thing I learned about was love. The love I got from my parents and brother made me feel safe and valued. But in order to love,  there must be loyalty. My mother demonstrated this so many times, because no matter how naughty I was, if anyone criticised me, like a tigress, she leapt to my defence.

That does not mean to say she spoilt me, far from it. My mother was strict, and I knew my boundaries, it’s just that she felt it was her right to critise and correct me when I did wrong, but woe betide any else who took that liberty.

My brother used to tease me, as I thought at the time, quite cruelly sometimes, and we used to fight, but if anyone else did it, he was there telling them not to pick on his sister. It was ok for him to do it, a brother’s right, but how dare anyone else!

Loyalty is so important in marriage. There was a time many years ago when my children were young, and Mother’s Day was fast approaching. My husband and I had argued over something, and were not speaking to one another. I overheard him saying to the children whilst I was on the stairs. ” Just because your Mum and I aren’t talking, doesn’t mean you can forget Mother’s Day. You find her something nice.”  Needless to say, I forgot the argument immediately, so touched was I by his loyalty.

But I see a change in attitude amongst people today where loyalty is concerned. I have always stood up for what I believe in, and defended people if I think that others are not treating them fairly. It has got me into trouble, especially when I have been wronged, but no-one comes to my defence.

I think that nowadays some people take the easy way out because they don’t like their feathers to be ruffled.  Loyalty doesn’t seem so important to them now, as standing up for someone else can make them unpopular, even if it is the only fair thing to do.

Even now, if there is one thing I can’t stand , it’s injustice, so if I think someone needs my loyalty, they will get it, and I will speak out. Of course my life would be easier if I just kept my mouth shut. I am by nature a timid person, but that is one instance where I find the courage from somewhere. But am I the wrong one? Should I just bury my head in the sand and get on with my life, and then remain popular with people? Who knows.

I think dogs are the most loyal animals in the world. They love us with all our faults, and their loyalty knows no bounds. They guard us with their lives, and dogs have even been known to watch and wait for an owner that has gone missing, for so long, that they have to be physically removed from the scene. I think we could learn a lot from our dogs.

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With most people at primary school/elementary school they are frequently told that the up-coming days of high school are going to be hard. However as I think everyone discovered to their amazement, high school was nothing like what it was said out to be! In fact in my case I found high school a lot easier, as well as a lot less stressful than primary school! Although high school itself wasn’t the main problem for me it was the masses of homework I got so I was quite frustrated by that!

So anyway do you ever feel like people don’t like you as a person? Do you always wish that they would begin to love you for whom you are, and not for what you may act like? Well in most cases it’s just a fact of not fitting in with the crowd! In fact with most cases of unpopularity to a student, it’s because of the immense jealousy from others! I know this, because when I was at high school I saw this boy who was an absolute genius at crafts! He also did a money raising scheme which earned him in total about £2000 profits! I was actually amazed at this kid’s unpopularity, since he was so cleaver as well as talented but he did look a little bit weird… Plus that’s what I suppose most high school kids take into consideration these days! It’s nothing to do with the person’s personality, but more of a case of their looks/fitness which is making high school a less pleasurable experience by the day!

So what I’m trying to get at here is that to get some good quality friends at high school you need to find people who don’t consider your looks! Those people are what I call “jerks” and should be put through a course of seeing how by judging people by their looks can cause them to be considered bully’s! So here is a little list of things which you can do to get more friends at high school!

1. Be yourself and consider others feelings! Now with this one it may be a gradual process, but when you see someone maybe upset just calmly walk over to them and ask them softly what up with them. This will grant you a reputation of being a nice guy, with a big heart to share with the world! If you just walk past without saying anything you’ll be ignored for life! You must give to receive! However be cautious that the person might be quite sensitive at the present moment, so the best thing to do if they react badly is to slowly walk away then check on them again in 10-20 minutes time.
2. Be polite to others. Now this is a very important one, as if you’re not nice and polite to people they won’t be nice to you back will they? It’s like being beaten up by a bully, and then expected to act nice to them you don’t want to do you? So the best thing to do, is to ask people what they’re up to then maybe start a little conversation with them! Now if you come across well as a nice guy, people’s attitude towards you will change immediately!
3. When walking around school say hi to people! The best thing to do while at high school, is to say hi to people you recognise. This is because it means you’ll be taken as a nice person, and if you smile at them they might just smile back! That’s how you can tell who you want as friends or not, if they say hi back they’re worthy of you. If not still say hey to them, but don’t try to be major friends with them…
4. Be helpful! When you’re helpful to others around you, they’ll start to appreciate your presence around school. Plus when people discover how helpful you are to be around, they’ll start asking you to do small favours in return for them doing a big favour to you! This is what I call the favour exchange, as when you help someone else they help you back!
5. Be friendly all around! As I’ve said before, if you can come across as a really nice guy or girl of course you’ll be loved as you are! So when you make it a habit to be nice to people, you can expect to see others being a lot more friendly towards you and not abusive!
   

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Thank you for reading this article on high school friendship, and I hope you enjoyed reading it!

The main organizer of the event, David Wills and his committee set the main speaker as Edward Everett – a prominent statesmen, community leader and the greatest orator of his time. The committee also invited numerous other guests including around 6 other Union state Governors and various other figures. Only just 17 days before the ceremony did the President of the United States get this invitation to participate in the dedication of a national memorial – an insult to the President and an indicator of his public opinion during that time. In his invitation, David Wills invites the President by saying “It is the desire that, after the Oration, you, as Chief Executive of the Nation, formally set apart these grounds to their Sacred use by a few appropriate remarks.” Thus, President Lincoln – the infamous President who started the war was invited to speak at the ceremony.

Edward Everett spoke throughout the better part of the day for over 2 hours while the President waited for his chance. Almost as an after thought, he was given the chance to speak and what he said shook the foundations of our nation. Below is President Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address:

“Four Score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.”

“Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation or any nation so conceived and so dedicated can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.”

“But in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead.”

This speech of less than 2 minutes was scolded and frowned upon by his peers. Based on the standards of Lincoln’s day, a proper speech is to last a few hours and the President did not even cut it close. However, today Lincoln’s speech is the most memorized and discussed upon speech and is the most famous of all historical presidential speeches. He reiterated the ideals of freedom, liberty and democracy found in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution and the very reason why the war must be fought against the greater axis of evil of his day. Even though the people hated President Lincoln for splitting the “union” and starting the war, he is today one of the most loved and respected Presidents of all time – and a Republican.