Picked last...

Cliques are everywhere. Let's be honest. They suck.

I try SO hard not to be a part of a clique. They are hurtful. People don't even realize that they are being cliquish sometimes, but then when it's brought to their attention, they try to say that the people that are being excluded don't like them and don't want to hang out with them anyways. That's no excuse.

I know that when I was in the youth group at church, cliques were abundant. I hate that it happens like that, but it does. They're everywhere. When I was student teaching, the teachers even had cliques.

Let me get to the point. Some people are cliquish and don't really care that they're that way. Even when you bring it to their attention, they deny it. It's annoying.

We've all been that kid who got picked last at kickball or football or whatever. It hurts. It hurts to think that you aren't good enough to hang out with someone or be on someone's team. Or that there is something about you that they don't like. The people rejecting you may not see it this way, but that's how the person being hurt sees it. It sucks to be left out of something.

Sometimes there are cliques within bigger groups of friends. When this happens, feelings can really get hurt. Smaller groups may get together to do something and not invite the whole big group. If someone finds out that wasn't invited, they may ask about it. When this happens, the "pity invite" is often given. "Oh you can come if you want." Yeah, no thanks. No one likes to get a pity invitation. No one likes to be invited because they happened to find out about something. Lame.

Now I understand. Large groups of people don't always hang out. There may be certain people within a group that are closer to each other than they are to other people in the group, but that doesn't mean they should exclude their other friends, or people they call their friends, on a regular basis. Yes. They may hang out as a small group at times. That's fine, but at a certain point, it becomes annoying and hurtful to the person or people being left out.

(Also, if there happens to be a new person brought into a group of friends, like a girlfriend or boyfriend of someone in the group, or let's just say it: clique, don't be rude. speak to them! No they aren't a "usual" of the group, but they are a person with feelings. I mean it's just common courtesy to say hi or introduce yourself to someone you don't know. Gee whiz! Ok done with that.)

I know I have probably done this to someone in the recent past and for that I am really sorry. I don't want to be the person I'm annoyed with. If I am being like this I want to be called out for it. Please tell me! I don't want to be cliquish.

Some people don't acknowledge that their doing anything wrong even when you bring it to their attention! How ignorant can you be?! Especially if multiple people bring it to your attention?! Wow. Please just try to be loving and inclusive. No, you don't have to be besties with everyone you know. That wouldn't happen even if you tried. But don't be so blind that you only think about your own feelings. Think about how other people feel every once in a while. Be best friends with whoever, but don't knowingly be cliquish. That's just rude.

Done,

Katelyn