Gossip and Judgment

"It's our job to help, not to judge."

I heard this today, and then I got a text. I'll leave anonymous the content of the text and thus the identity of the texter, but it was...disappointing, at least. I thought we were past this point.

No, I did not tell you X piece of gossip. That was told to me, in confidence, months ago. And, when one of my friends (or anyone, for that matter) tells me something in confidence, I do not share that information. It was not for you to know; if it were, you would have been told.

As I told a friend recently:

...Leaving may be one of the hardest things I have had to do, but it will be so worth it when, one day, I can look back and say things in this world have changed because of what I have accomplished. I don't usually like to take credit for things like that, but I truly want to leave what one might term "a legacy." Then, I will know that I have made a difference. If the Girl Scouts taught me one thing, it was to leave a place better than when you came, and may that be so for the world. I will strive always to make the world less judgmental, more understanding, less selfish, more compassionate. All of us deserve that, and it will make us a better mankind. I only hope for that to happen in time for my dearest friends to benefit from it.

Do not judge my friends. Who are you to do so?! Things happen. People change. Life is unexpected, and sometimes I think that's the best part. Sometimes, circumstances are complex and even unusual, but that doesn't matter in the end. Just because things may not be what you imagine they should be does not mean they aren't very much supposed to be that way. You do not know the back story because maybe you aren't supposed to. I don't necessarily know why that is, but I do know this: It's not my place to encourage the gossip. It's my place to stop it.

Don't judge my friends. Support people, uplift them, love all. Maybe it's just me, but I think this world would be a much better place if we all did so.

Dear World...

...You have problems. Yes, I'm just going to come out and say it. World, you have serious problems. I think too many people today are too willing to be passive and ignore this fact. And too many people today are too willing to say those problems are beyond them--that they can do nothing to fix you, World.

Well, I am not one of them. My name is Kimberly and I am 23 years old...and by most standards that makes me young and not-yet-wise in the ways of the world. I beg to differ. I may be from a small, closed-minded neighborhood in little old Wisconsin in the often-selfish United States, but I know a lot of things about this world I live in.

I know that I am a citizen not only of that small, closed-minded neighborhood but also of this world. As such, I refuse to ignore its problems. I know that it is the little things we do for others that can make all the difference. And, I know that what we do today will impact others for many years to come. I also know that what I do can change you--either for better or for worse. So you can call me young and uneducated, but I know better. I know I can make you better, World.

They called me the curious child and the dreamer...and I still proudly claim those labels. I wanted to see things and to talk to all kinds of people and to learn...oh how I wanted to learn about everything. I still do, more than ever. And I will.

World, you have serious problems that may be hard to fix. But I know they are fixable. I have a fire inside of me that in my 23 years here has only grown larger. I have a fire inside that wants to make a difference, and I can feel it raging and trying to spread. I have always said I enjoy doing the little things for others that make them really happy. Now, I choose to do those things for the world. I know that small actions can make a big difference. I also know that a fire this big can yield some pretty big change.

So, World, I may not know exactly what I want to do or even exactly what problem I want to fix...yet. But what I do know is that things need to change. Soldiers need to be appreciated by their country. Children should never be soldiers. Women should be valued and treated as equals. And all people deserve some basic rights.

I may not know yet how these problems can be fixed.
I might not be able to fix all of these problems.
But all of these problems do need to be fixed.
And I--and maybe I alone--will be part of the solution.

Between you and I, World, no one has yet seen what I have to offer. Sure, I might have done a couple good things in the last 23 years, but you haven't seen anything yet. The world is desperate for some change...I can see that. But that isn't going to happen overnight or without some people willing to take action. What the world needs is some whistleblowers. We need some people willing to stop everything and not let action resume without first instituting some serious change. Yes, the world needs to stop turning so its people pay attention. Then, change can and will occur.

World, your people deserve better than this. And I will make that happen. Of that, you can be sure.

With sincerest wishes for peace and love,
Kimberly Susanmarie Meyer