Diplomacy

Main Entry: di·plo·ma·cy
Pronunciation: \də-ˈplō-mə-sē\
Function: noun
Date: 1796
1 : the art and practice of conducting negotiations between nations
2 : skill in handling affairs without arousing hostility : tact

Over the past few years I have grown up a tremendous amount. I have grown to be more mature, more confident, more honest, more faithful, and I have developed more of what I call character. Throughout these years there have been many times that I think I have just forgotten about because it wasn't the best experience or I really just didn't care about remembering it. Now that I look back I see that every single day plays into how I am now no matter what I was doing. Every day plays into who you are the next day.
So now I'm looking at how I am now and after a long talk with one of my teachers today on the phone I realize there's one step I am in the process of perfecting and I am determined to perfect this trait before leaving high school. The trait I am talking about is diplomacy. Being the person I am, this is one thing I always have to keep in check because I know I am a person with a short fuse. When people frustrate me, I love to walk away and take a breather and then step back into the conversation when I am ready to talk so I can avoid saying something I don't want to say. I just want to think on my own instead of just blurting out whatever comes to my mind. In all honesty, I know that the world doesn't work that way and I am going to have to be able to stay in the room and hold my ground.
Now, when I'm thinking about all of this I have to put into consideration the people I'm talking to, what were talking about, and what kind of environment I'm in. In a high school setting I know that it is permitted to walk out on a conversation when it's not during school considering people do it all the time. Teachers walk out on students and vice versa. I know this isn't how things work in the rest of the world, so doesn't that mean that is shouldn't happen there? I guess not. In the real world, walking out, to me, means that you are quiting or giving up which is not that same as high school. So this brings me to say that I do not want to be one of the people who will walk out on a situation. I want to stand my ground and take things professionally regardless of the setting and I want to be called out if I'm not being diplomatic.
In saying this, I know that hell week for a show is coming up next week and I am the technical director and this is going to be my test. I am dealing with some diva's in the theater department and I am not about to become a diva myself. My teacher said that he is also like this, so he said that he wants me to be able to learn this earlier than he did and before I leave high school because if I don't learn it before college it's too late for me to screw up. He said that's what some other people are going to have problems with because they are too power hungry and they don't have a good balance. I don't want to be that person and I am told that next year I am and example in the theater department and I think that's true. So I am going to do my best and keep my cool. I am going to stay on top of things and stay in the middle and not let my emotions and passion get involved with my work. I will not pick one extreme or the other because I know I can do this. Because I truly believe that if your heart is set on something anything can be achieved--no matter how cliche that is.

~Stevie~