By Jordan Thompson
Staff Writer

There is nothing wrong with a restless heart- if you are excited to get out of this town because you are ready for change, ready to see the world and discover yourself, by all means feed that ambition. But until graduation day comes, sit back and enjoy where you are-because I can assure you from experience that Coppell is very worthy of being missed.

I learned this the hard way when I left CHS for a few weeks and did my schooling at a hospital in Plano every day while battling health issues. There I learned that not only is our town safe, but it really is filled with nice people.

Everyone has been bullied-and there is always drama in this town and everyone has a complaint or two to make about it. That is fine-but before we all start believing that Coppell “sucks” and tweeting about it (like many teens do) let’s put matters into perspective.

At the hospital I met a girl who had two miscarriages and students began calling her a ‘baby killer.’ They wrote it on her locker at school. Two babies lost, and students had the nerve to blame her for it.

I thought I had it bad.

Another girl, suffering from anorexia, faces an enormous amount of animosity towards her at her school too. One day, two boys knowing that she had an eating disorder pushed her up against a wall, called her fat and then kicked her in the stomach. The night that I learned these things I went home and cried.
I cannot imagine going to school every day facing that type of treatment. Sure, people talk here-it’s a small town and everyone knows everything that is just the way it is. Girls can be superficial and boys can be mean-just like in every other place in the world.

Our small town is not perfect, but wow-what I wouldn’t give to bring those people I met at the hospital to my school where I know that people are generally kind and welcoming.
Two years ago in my hometown of Pekin, Ill. my cousin was chased home by two men on bikes. They threw glass bottles at her and called her horrible names because she is black. Racism is still so intense in some places yet Coppell kids are barely exposed to it.

Some say that the people are “too sheltered” here, but I think it’s a blessing. Everyone is forced into the ‘real world’ at some point, but not everyone has the opportunity to spend their childhood in a loving and safe environment. I really will miss Coppell.