Although
our society today is supposedly a classless society, we still find a pecking
order in every social interaction. The wealthy and highly talented are given
special treatment and the average and sub-par people are pushed to the bottom
of the list. I myself have experienced both such extremes.
I
am a competitive tennis player and I travel across the Midwest and to many
different destinations all over the country throughout the year. With all of
the competition comes a lot of practice, and this being my junior year, I
realized I was going to need a little extra. But with my rigorous academic
load, I knew I couldn’t cut out study time. So instead I decided to try to get
exempted from gym. However, I came to learn that this is a very rare occurrence
that people get exempted for the entire year for one sport. I have found myself
at the top of the athletic chain at New Trier. I have been given special
treatment that most other people don’t get due to the amount of talent I have.
I hope I don’t sound arrogant when I say this because the truth is it has taken
an immense amount of hard work to get where I have gotten. However, at the same
time, I am put on the opposite end of the spectrum in the tennis world.
I
play for the varsity tennis team. I played for them my freshman year and played
state. I didn’t play last year due to an injury but when I came back to play
this year, I felt that I was treated as if I was lesser than others of my same
playing ability. I was in many ways disrespected because I had taken myself out
of this status I had earned for myself my freshman year. I had to prove my spot
once again just like I had as a freshman. Except this time, I was a junior. I
had to climb to the top once again with little aid. I watched other girls of
equal and lesser playing ability get special treatment just because of the
history they have with the team. It’s a frustrating thing I deal with every
day. I think to myself, “They are
no better than me. Why are they given special treatment? Why don’t they have to
come to practice every day? Why do they get to just choose their position in
the lineup while I have to earn my spot time and time again?” At the end of the
day, I am going to state just like them. There are only three girls on the
entire team that I believe could have a prayer of beating me, and there’s still
no guarantee. So why am I treated as if I am at the bottom of the lineup. I
have dealt with our coach laughing in my face and then berating me for telling
her one small dissatisfaction with the team, while she turns around and lets
other girls on the team completely manipulate her. Is it fair? I don’t believe
so. Is it reality? Unfortunately it is and I just have to battle through it.
Then
I take a step back and realize that this is the kind of crap that many
Americans deal with every day. They are pushed to the bottom of the food chain
and forced to fight an uphill battle. It’s not fair. But it’s a reality in
American society. We have to prove our positions over and over again in order
to get any kind of reward or treatment. Unfortunately, most of us will never
win this battle. But we can at least give it a good fight.
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