I am very excited to be in Playing for Others for its fourth running year. I decided to apply last minute while over at a friend’s house working on a project. She mentioned it and convinced me that I should submit an application so when I arrived home, I immediately jumped on the computer and filled it out. I was so happy when two weeks later; I got the response that I was invited to an interview with the executive director, Jen Band. A week or two after that, I got the very exciting email that I was invited to be a part of this season! Playing for Others is a great cause, so I was extremely honored to be asked to be a teen involved. Before PFO, I almost avoided people with developmental disabilities, thinking what other people did: they were weird. So I was particularly nervous when I met my buddy for the first time, back in October. After meeting him and his family, I realized that he’s exactly like me, just has different needs. I felt as if this was an epiphany in my personal life, giving me the opportunity to go out and help change other people’s minds. I’ve definitely seen what I’ve told my friends take effect, and this just encourages me even more. Two days ago in gym, our class of about 100 was playing volleyball. There is a teenager with a disability in this class who usually stands off to the side, not interacting. He caught the ball, and made an exclamation that people normally would have made fun of to his face. What impressed me was that not one person, senior or freshman, of my class said anything negative to him. In fact, the people around him cheered for his catch, and let him serve it back over the net. He missed, and in return, received pats on the back and “Nice try!” These were not sarcastic remarks either, they were heartfelt and sincere. High school students who could make people cry with five or six words reached out and expressed feeling towards this teen. This really inspired me to spread the word even farther about Playing for Others, to affect even more people, and to make even more lives enhanced. I think that every teen should be involved somehow with an organization that is focused on giving everyone the right treatment and to not judge people by whom they are or what they look like. In PFO, someone could stand up on a table and start singing Hawaiian music and people, instead of walking away, would join in! We’re a crazy bunch of teens, and that’s what makes PFO so great. Playing for Others has also provided a safe, no judgment zone. Let’s be honest, who wasn’t teased at least some in high school? Whether it was because of our race, ethnic group, sexuality, or personality, we’ve all been called names behind our backs. The teens in PFO know how this feels and understands that it can break someone down to pieces. So when I joined and met so many new people, I acted very reserve and “cool” so they would like me. I then gradually discovered that they would like me no matter what, a table-dancing Hawaiian singer or not. Playing for others is all about acceptance, leadership, communication, and learning. This has been one of the greatest choices in my life that I have made, deciding to fill out a last minute application. I’m happy I did it.
