Life Lesson I've Learned from Glee

17. Don't Be a Bitch
 Fight the Urge, I Learned the Hard Way

Carina was the quiest girl in the class. In fact, she was so quiet that when the teacher called on her, she would freeze and not respond to the answer. Everyone made fun of her. Her mousy brown hair was pulled back into the same ponytail every day, and she drew cartoons in her spare time. Kids in my class would snatch up the cartoons and tease her. Myself included.

Carina was an easy target. Her mom was the school librarian and never spoke up, so I figured I would never get in trouble. Besides, wouldn't a librarian that yelled at an innocent sixth grader look terrible?

One Saturday, our class had a party at Discovery Zone. While the moms huddled at the cake table and discussed carpools, my best friends Nicole and I found Carina in the ball pit. Our teachers called us the three Ns.
"Nice drawings," Nicole said.
"Yeah, nice drawings," I repeated. And then the worst possible thing happened. I kicked Carina in the shin and all three of us ran away.

In high school, Carina's father was diagnosed with brain cancer. He was not supposed to live.

"Attention girls. We have a student with a very sick father. Please keep her in your prayers," our principal announced over the school speakers.
I never talked to Carina in high school. I didn't even acknowledge her in the halls. She was always alone. But one day in my junior year of high school, Carina wrote me a note:
Natalie, I know I have always been shy, but it's because I'm afraid of what people will say about me.

I didn't need detention or a lecture from my parents to know how mean I had been. Now, Carina goes to Point Park for Art, and her pictures are amazing.

I learned my lesson.