This is an essay I wrote for Governor's School last year...it's short, I could add a lot to it, but give it a read and see what you think.
Topic: Identify and discuss one significant problem or issue in contemporary culture that concerns you; some of the dimensions of this issue, why it matters to you, and what possible solutions you or others might propose to deal with it.The issue I address is a psychological one. It is one that is a serious problem among teenagers today. It is an issue that matters to me because it is an accurate description of the struggles I have been through, and am still going through. This is the issue of “social clams.” Not only does the long-term act of “clamming up” significantly reduce the individual’s in question ability to contribute to society, it also is a form of subtle, self-inflicted torture, and, in many cases, the result of social torment. Allow me to explain.
The main root of clams is that they have great difficulty in expressing their deep emotions and issues. They fear to bring these to light because they fear ridicule. Instead, they hide them deep away, in their shell. They also use their shells as a shield against ridicule and embarrassment in the outside world. They feel protected and safe when they withdraw into their shells. Clams do not always want to be in their shells, though. They come out to play occasionally. However, leaving the shell is a risk. Being outside of it is to be vulnerable. Therefore, clams will always eventually return to their shells. Sometimes, they return after an enjoyable outing, having not gotten hurt. But other times, they get hurt, sometimes unintentionally by people who meant no harm, but played too rough with the clam’s emotions; there are also others that draw clams out of their shells for the exact purpose of hurting them. Regardless of the circumstances, the clam returns to its shell, and stays in there, nursing its wounds, which eventually become scars. Each time a clam is hurt, it becomes less and less willing to come out of its shell.
However, in spite of the protection it offers, in spite of all the hurt that may be experienced outside the shell, the clam will learn to hate to be in the shell. It will want permanent freedom, once it sees that this is attainable, that a better life is possible. The shell is a place of loneliness. The clam is there alone with its deepest, darkest feelings. The loneliness, its feelings that it feels that no one cares about, is a constant torment to its heart, a taunting voice that tells it that no one cares, that they will always be alone, that they are hopelessly trapped. Is that voice right? Is their no hope for these people? Or is there? There is. The clam can escape its shell; it just needs some outside help in doing so. But there is a slight catch to this.
There are two types of clams: half and total. Half clams are intricate mask-carvers. They put on a show for others to see. They may be very popular individuals in their social group, be it school, church, or some other place. Very few people can see that behind that mask lies internal struggle. They may have many friends, but no close ones. Half clams are capable of helping themselves, though. Their mask gives them enough social skill to ask for help from an outsider. Therefore, it is not difficult for a half clam to attain freedom. Total clams are in a more difficult predicament.
Total clams have no pretty masks to look at, so this type of clam may be an outcast in a social group. Because they are outcasts, they do not have enough social skills to be able to ask for help, and there will be fewer who are willing to help them because they lack the popularity of most half clams. Few people see the pain, the silent cries for help, and pass off the clam as a weirdo, someone they do not want to socialize with. It takes a special person to see that a total clam wants to be helped. So that leaves the question of how one helps a clam attain freedom.
The locks that trap a clam in its shell are complex. As a general rule, what keeps a clam in its shell is the lack of one or more of these five relationships: lover, friend, counselor, parent, or God. A clam could be missing only one of these, and still be trapped. A person who wishes to help a clam must be able to discern what relationship is lacking, and be willing to provide that relationship. That narrows the field down right there. Obviously, only God can grant salvation and the peace that comes from it, but even Christians can be clams. Only an adult can provide the parent relationship, even though they do not have to be the biological parent. The field is narrowed even further when you consider a sort of sub-lock: personality compatibility. A person may want to help a clam, but if the person and the clam just don’t get along, it will never work.
Ultimately, there is hope for the people of the world who are social clams. Society, however, must do its part. People need to study others, to be perceptive of others’ needs instead of only caring about themselves. People need to stop rejecting others simply because they are different. It is this behavior that causes the clam syndrome in the first place, and only when it ends will clam syndrome end as well.
