Teen Ink

At some point in life, actually, at many points in life, we will have to spread our wings and fly. Learn how to face the unknown. And it can be scary. Have you ever seen a baby bird learning to fly? Isn't...(more »)

At some point in life, actually, at many points in life, we will have to spread our wings and fly. Learn how to face the unknown. And it can be scary. Have you ever seen a baby bird learning to fly? Isn't it precious!?! You wouldn't laugh at a baby bird. (Or at least I hope you wouldn't). You would smile at it, thinking, "He's so cute!" and maybe even say, more to yourself than anyone else, "Come on, buddy! You can do it!" So why then are we constantly begging to find opportunities to laugh in each other's faces, criticize each other, and just be all around mean? Baby birds learning to fly aren't exactly graceful or beautiful, and, faced with a new situation, neither are we. What if we treated each other as we would a baby bird? We might actually become more graceful, being nurtured by others, a whole troop of cheerleaders, saying, "Go, go, you can do it!" Wouldn't it be nice to have people looking out for you and be looking out for people instead of being afraid to spread your wings at every turn? I think this is what the organization called the Church is supposed to cure, and many times it does a good job. But nothing will change until the people themselves change. We're all guilty. And we're also all capable of setting a new standard.« read less