Labels shouldn't matter

Labels. Labels are everywhere: in the mall, at school and even at the library.

Cool, popular, loser, nerd, stupid, smart or not popular. No matter where you go, you're labeled, and it's not about your personality. It's about how you look and dress, if you're pretty or ugly, dressed differently, or even just expressing your opinion on something.

One girl can be pretty and be the meanest person in school, and another person in the same class can be unattractive and have a great personality. But she still isn't called "popular" and doesn't have many friends, while the snobby girl gets the popular status.

I don't think how you look or if you wear the right clothes matters. What does matter are the choices you make, what you think and your personality.

If you see the "popular kids" and wish you were part of their group, stop and think what really makes them popular. Would they be popular if they didn't have brand-name clothes?

And think about your friends. If they're your real friends, then they will stay with you, whether you are popular or not. It only matters what you think about yourself, and not what others think of you.

-- Madison is a 13-year-old in seventh grade at Virginia City Middle School.