I gaze into the majestic evening horizon from the top of the Empire State building. Biting my lip, I peer down at the thousands of feet beneath me. The crowd of millions is an ocean below, and the shouts and chants only buzz like a fly in my ear. I swallow my fear and shake it off; the entire world is rooting for me.
I swiftly jump, leaving nothing behind but fear. I fall, accelerating faster than the speed of light until my cape catches the air and holds me up — and then, miraculously, I am flying. The crowd bellows and I am on top of the world.
Just kidding. Truth be told, I was only 10 feet above the ground on my backyard porch, surrounded by about eight other seven-year-olds. I wasn’t lying about the cape, though.
I was a superhero, the world on my shoulders, imagining the encouraging crowds beneath me. Jumping from the porch was a dare, and I was the only one brave — and naïve — enough to take on the task. As a tomboy among my group of male friends, I was determined to prove myself.
Both of my parents lectured me about staying “grounded” — that is, being humble and avoiding harmful dares.
At seven years old, I did not comprehend the real meaning of staying “grounded” — but as I age, I am able to understand it from different perspectives. At first, my perception of it was staying on the ground — namely not jumping off of the porch with a superman cape in attempt to fly. I learned that sometimes it meant that I was in trouble, locked in my room and unable to play with friends.
It was in college, though, that I discovered the true meaning of being “grounded.”
College has taught me a great deal about myself and my surroundings. Not only have I learned to cut back on late night Littlejohn’s expenditures — illustrative of my keen new sense of responsibility — I’ve also developed a sense of time management and discipline.
By living with peers and making independent decisions, I discovered more about myself than I ever imagined I would. During my first year, there were times when I felt pressured — pressured to major in something I wasn’t passionate about, pressured to take shortcuts on homework, pressured to participate in situations I knew in my gut weren’t right. I felt I had to impress everyone and to make a name for myself.
I realized that by submitting to that pressure, I became part of a homogenous crowd rather than achieved notoriety. I hit a point of self-realization when I found a picture in my mom’s photo album of seven-year-old me with a purple sling.
I couldn’t help but compare my college experience to this memory. Where did listening to the crowd ever lead me? I realized I’d prefer not to end up in a sling ever again.
In many settings, there are times when you feel you need to impress certain people or even prove yourself to others. You’re on a balcony and people are telling you to jump. But in the grand scheme of things, that’s not how fitting in works.
Staying “grounded” means holding your own morals and values above leaping into the crowd. It means not letting your ego inflate or change you as a person. It means always using your common sense along with logic before making any potentially-destructive decisions.
Keep your feet on the ground before getting caught up in a fantasy — even if you have a cape on.
Madison’s column runs biweekly Wednesdays. She can be reached at m.ruddy@cavalierdaily.com.
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