I don’t know what it is about the coming of fall and winter, but somehow it makes me both want to be spontaneous and adventurous, and lazy at the same time.

Going on one of these feelings the other day, I skipped out of my seventh hour (in which I’m just a TA) and went over to Mrs. Switzer’s AP Art Studio class. It was crazy to see students in there who possessed such talent that I never even knew about. Looking through everything they’ve done, I was blown away at just how amazing it all was.

I think the best part of this was that I was discovering something new and completely different about people about whom I thought I had everything figured out. It made me think a little; if I never knew that these few people had such amazing talent, what things am I missing about all of the other people I know? What kinds of things make other people awesome that I’m not even aware of?

And what I think is even more important than this, is the fact that there are hidden things that make people special that aren’t even major. I’m not just talking about drawing, being able to sing, etc.; sometimes it’s just something within someone’s personality. Maybe it’s an interest that they have, that I’m not familiar with, but is super cool.

I think this is something we need to keep in mind whenever we come into contact with others, whether we know them or not. There is some little detail about everyone that makes them unique and special, and most importantly, worth your time. I know that sounds super cheesy, but it’s honestly the truth. By not opening ourselves to what makes other people awesome, we’re missing out on so much. You will never legitimately know another person completely, nor will you ever know what is going on in another person’s head.

Think about this next time you consider someone to be below you, or not worth your time. Something about them probably makes them pretty damn awesome, and you have no idea.

There are billions of people on this planet, and you come into contact with so many on any given day. Just imagine all of the opportunities you could have if you only opened your mind and your heart to them!

On a separate note, I just want to say a quick word regarding the results of the election. I know there are some people that are overjoyed, and some people that are not. Regardless of this, I want to comment on something specific to my blog.

For me, a huge issue is equality. I know it was not really a deciding factor in this election, but for people like me, it is a big deal. Life under a different president would not have been very different for the majority of Americans. However, a huge impact, most likely negative, could have been made on people of the LGBT community. The same goes for women, immigrants who have no means of being here legally, but need a better place to go – a place to get education, and countless others. For the minority, this was a step in the positive direction. And even if you don’t agree with many of the policies of President re-elect Barack Obama, I hope you can at least agree with that.

Like what I have to say? Don’t? Have ideas or suggestions? Send me a line at [email protected] or tweet me @jameshunterpugh and I’ll be sure to get back to you!