The Doormat by Bailey

The Doormat by Bailey - October 2013 Scholarship Essay

When I was a freshman in high school, I had a friend who wasn't allowed to have a boyfriend. Because we were such good friends, I decided it would be okay if I went with her boyfriend to the movies to try to cover it up from her parents. I third wheeled with them for many dates, sometimes they were with different guys. I saw much injustice happen, and was ditched several times in front of a restaurant where my very recent ex-boyfriend worked. I was miserable. I always did what she asked me to do without protest much like what I did with everyone else in my life. The final straw was when she left me alone outside of that restaurant for two hours in a dangerous part of town. I finally realized that I was being a doormat. Not just by her but by everyone. They could always count on me because I never said no. When she came back, we rode home in silence as I thought about the best way to handle this. I decided on talking to her about it. I knew exactly what I was going to say and yet I was scared. I didn't want to live this way anymore. I told her that her actions were unacceptable and that I was no longer going to be a third wheel for her relationships and her drama. I told her we were through. At that moment, I caught a sort of momentum that has lasted to this day. I figured out how to say no. I have stood up for myself better than I ever had. It’s exciting. I now live a life that is less stressful because I’m not doing things I don’t want to do. I do what I want and I think that is a very important idea that adults should obtain. Otherwise, they will be stuck as the doormat for the rest of their lives.