from laura's xanga >>

Ok today I will be venting about something important to me and to many others who feel the same way.

It happens that today one of my friends half-jokingly made the comment, "Even though Laura is a peer helper, she makes me depressed."I was feeling blah and didn't care at the moment, but now that I think back, I feel angry bc this isn't the first time someone said something crass about peer helping.Ok, as a peer helper, my job isn't to be happy-go-lucky and make you feel happy-go-lucky all the time.What did she mean?If she feels depressed bc I acknowledge the truth about certain people I've come to know...well I can't be expected to pretend everything is okay when it isn't.It's not my intention to make others feel depressed--I don't feel depressed by what I say, so I don't see why it would make her depressed, seeing as what I say doesn't pertain to her that way.If you came up to me and told me you were feeling sad about something, I would try to understand what makes you feel that way and why, and try to help you through it as best as I can.For some reason, a lot of people think peer helpers shouldn't stray from the positive comments--in truth, we're here to help what's truely the underlying issue and offer constructive input.I think anyone would prefer an honest and good friend who will stand by you, instead of being fake and turning a blind eye to problems--and that's what peer helping is supposed to do.

As cheesy as it sounds, I'm trying to say that we're all humans and we all make mistakes, but we can at least try to be better people when we realize our faults.

And another thing:nothing pisses off me more than when ppl want to be peer helping because they think it's an easy 'A and ask me, "Is it easy?" What kind of a question is that??I guess it's kind of our fault people on campus don't understand what peer helping is about, or what we do.This isn't some ordinary class you half-ass.When you're in peer helping, you make it into the class because you actually go out and help people, not sit around on your butt all day.When I counsel, and I make a connection with my counselees, I can visibly see that the counselee feels better after talking to me, and I feel happier because this made my day--I accomplished something, whether it is of a large or small nature.The program is headed by Saporito, and yes, the program works.

Ok that ends my venting.Now we can boogie.

thanks for speaking out my inner thoughts!