Reflection Paper Number 5

When someone is alone they are isolated from the world around them. They are usually not involved with the surroundings that they are put in. They are basically stuck in their own world while everyone around them is going about their day to day schedule. When someone is alone they are excluded from what is surrounding them. This may be the outcome of a person that is alone; however, every human has the choice if they want to be alone or not. There are times though, where people are forced to be alone. In this case, these people who are alone get ridiculed and tortured for who they are. They get bullied and pushed around because of a category that someone else put them in.
In the case of the Little Rock Nine, these students were excluded and alone, but at the same time were ridiculed, tortured, and abused by the people they were surrounded by. These students were forced to be in the category of being alone. They had no choice in the matter.
Nowadays, it is very difficult to even attempt to put myself in the shoes of one of the students of the Little Rock Nine. I grew up without having restrictions; so to try to understand exactly what they went through, how they felt, and how I would act is very difficult to do. However, I will attempt to try through a parable.
Imagine getting up in the morning and having someone standing over you. Then picture yourself using the bathroom or taking a shower and having that same person watch your every move. You begin to feel like your space is being invaded. You begin to understand that you will never be able to just be. You begin to understand that you can never have that sense of comfortability that you desire for. You then look at the person lying next to you in bed. You see them get up, use the bathroom, take a shower etc. You see them doing this without having someone watching their every move. They can act and be and do things freely without the restriction of having someone watching over them.
After you get ready you then begin your day by attending school. You are walking to the building with that same person that invaded your privacy in the morning. On the way you are surrounded with people that begin to shout at you and to throw things at you like you are there, but not there at the same time. You hear the name calling and the shouting, but what can you do? This is how it is; Day in and day out. This is who you are and this is what you have to expect on a daily basis. You just continue the same process from beginning to end until something eventually changes and you can be free to be you.
As you can see, if I were ever put into the Little Rock Nine’s shoes, I would basically not do anything. Because really, there is nothing for me to do. I can try to rally and fight back, but in the end I do not have the power to gain that freedom that I desire for. If a situation came up where change was able to be taken place, and I would be able to gain that freedom that I wanted, then I would have nothing to lose. But until that day comes, I believe I would probably be going through that daily schedule until I get that sense of hope that change can occur. And when that day comes, I will definitely do what I have to do to gain the freedom that I desire for.