#wwjsd

@celluloidbroomcloset‘s post from “Mousetrap” set me a-thinking, especially the bit about Steed treating everyone as equals.

That’s an important thing that he does, but the reasons why he does it are even more important. He doesn’t do it only because he wants something from someone else. He doesn’t do it only because it makes him look good.

He’s not going to be all chummy towards the bikers one minute and show contempt for them the next or sneer at them behind their backs, and he’s not going to splain motorcycling to them. He’s not doing it so that Cathy will be impressed with him. He’s not doing it only this once and then never again.

It ain’t easy startin’ from the beginning, no matter what it is you’re doin’. High school makes it even tougher – you got to start doin’ things for yourself, and it never feels like you’re ready enough.

But you’ve got this under control. Worryin’ can be a good thing, if it gets you thinkin’ about what you need to do ahead of time and comin’ up with a plan – as long as you don’t spend all your time gettin’ worried.

School’s all right. If you don’t have something you need for a class on the first day, don’t worry about it. Bring it next time. If you start havin’ trouble with class, ask for help. If you’re worried about meetin’ people, talk to the ones in your band class, or art class, or gym class. It’s pretty hard not to meet people when you spend all day with ’em every day.

Thanks for that! But I got to say, it ain’t me that’s doing the inspiring. People do that for each other every day, and that’s how it should be. What inspires me is seein’ people talk to each other, teach each other, help each other out. Seein’ people get to know a little more about each other. Seein’ someone play a good song or tell a good story or buy a mate a drink or give a stranger a hand when there’s no one else to do it. Seein’ ’em make themselves and other people happy.

One thing I can tell you straight away is that life is always worth livin’. There’s times when it’s better and times when it’s worse, but there’s always something good goin’ on, and there’s always something good to look forward to. Never fall into the trap of thinkin’ there ain’t anything left for you, ’cause there always will be.

You’ll do all right in your exams – and even if you don’t, it won’t be the end of the world. Doin’ well in them and movin’ on is one way of takin’ a step down the road, but it ain’t the only one. There are always new ways of movin’ forward, and you’ll find the one that’s right for you. Just keep takin’ those steps and you’ll get there.