Suburban Blues

  Lately I've been growing sick of living in the suburbs. It's not that I don't like the environment I'm in.. it's a little cold for my liking, but nothing too terrible. But it's the people I can't stand. In my town, our whole community is sports-based, and we're very patriotic about our teams. Our football team in particular has a large fan base, and if you don't like sports in this town, you're pretty much dead on arrival. Enter me: terrible at sports, simply doesn't care about patriotism, hates social interaction, and can hardly get enthusiastic about things I like, let alone things my town forces me to.
  I also feel like the education system, not just in my state in particular but in the entire country of the United States is heavily flawed. I have a feeling in a hundred or so years students will look back into their textbooks and think "wow, living then must have sucked. Those poor kids must have hated themselves." And yes, we do. A majority of people I know (yes, not just a select few, but a majority) of have had harmful thoughts because of the pressures of school. It's not even that we as students don't like learning, because I know I do. I just wish I could pick what I could learn about, as I know in the future I'm very unlikely to pursue a career based in geometry or chemistry. I should be able to choose classes that appeal to me, as I feel that is a basic human right. No student should ever be forced into classes they do not want to participate in. If I ask to switch out of a certain class or elect not to take one, I am criticized for not wanting to learn or not wanting to help myself. That's not the case; I simply do not find these specific subjects appealing and know that I will not choose to use them in my future. I feel as if I'm literally wasting my life away.
  Sorry for babbling, I just feel as if my school's environment is toxic. Everyone is harshly judgmental, and they feel as if everyone but themselves has a wrong opinion. Life is not about being wrong or right; it's about expressing your own opinion in the way you choose to express it. Be your own person; do not be a clone of everyone else around you. By being in such a ridiculously judgmental school, I feel as if I cannot express my opinion. I cannot be myself. And I hate every minute of it.