I’ve been havin a lot of crazy weekends with my dawg Alex Mertins. I can’t even describe all of the stuff we’ve been doing. To be honest the only way to fully understand what’s going down when we hang out you gotta be there yourself. The point I’m trying to make with this isn’t mainly about all of the good times we’ve been having. The point is at first I thought he was weird, the way he dressed, the music he listened to wasn’t the same way I dress or the same music I used to enjoy. I heard all of the dumb rumors the immature kids were spreading about him. Even worse, I considered myself to be above childish stereotypes such as these, I thought I was completely free of the filter that society puts on our thoughts, our eyes, and our ears. Although, to think ones self is free of this is to be equally ignorant. The point is I listened to the rumors and disliked Alex for no reason; I hadn’t even talked to him once. For that time that I ignorantly disliked Alex and listened to the consensus of the tools of our school, I myself subconsciously joined their “tool circle” and it took a little while for me to break free and talk to one of my current best friends. In fact in meeting Alex I realized that I had a general stereotype of people that dressed in flannels and listened to hardcore rock, I considered them all emo, weird, and non-sociable (this is the best way to describe my stereotype). In meeting Alex I realized that I too enjoyed hardcore rock, and found that he listens to the other music I do as well as his own, I was out of pants and Alex even gave me the most fye pair of red skinny jeans, which I wear from time to time as well, because the match my shoes pretty perfectly. The point is that in meeting Alex I have abolished many stereotypes against good people. The way you dress does not define you and that’s the end of it. I realized this while shouting with both of my parents (who I haven’t seen get along once or agree on anything since fourth grade until that day) that having earrings does not make one a crack addict drug abuser. It does not make someone the scum of society and was simply something I decided to do after school especially since a couple of pretty girls were telling me they’d look cool. This life lesson has encouraged me to be open to all kinds of people, and judge those not by their cover, but by their inner purity and character. Now Alex and I go out almost every weekend, and even most weekdays and we have fun. I realized how stupid I was being at the beginning of the year.