(Please enjoy this ramble.)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I've fallen down the school stairs six times throughout my high school career, ranging from a couple small stumbles to a legitimate tumble headfirst off the last couple steps. And I think that sums up my -- and a lot of your -- high school experiences.
High school is hard, no matter what the movies or your parents tell you (and, by the way, Dad, just because 10:30 PM was a reasonable bedtime when you were in high school in the 1800's doesn't mean it still is). I've had friends break down before tests, family members come into my room at 3 AM to find me passed out while studying, teachers constantly complaining about unmotivated students. People who say that teenagers are just a bunch of whiny millennials have obviously never spent a hectic day in the life of a high school student. But guys... we made it! We pulled through all-nighters and physics book reports after AP tests and college applications and now we're here.
So now what?
My entire life has been leading up to this moment, from my friendless days of first grade to my slightly less friendless days of senior year -- yet I still find myself just as confused and anxious as five-year-old me was on her first day of elementary school. To be honest, I still have no idea what field I want to go in after college or what I want to major in, and you'd best know that I'll be internally screaming even while getting my diploma in a few minutes. High school has just been this time of "go-go-go," while teachers and parents push you to do better and better and now we're here and we're all lost. Suddenly, the rug's been whipped out from beneath us. The curtains are closing. And we're left alone without any guidance. It's terrifying to say the least, and I don't think a lot of us would like to admit it. After all, we're adults now, aren't we? We're supposed to know how the world works.
But luckily for us, all of that is a lie. Honestly, nobody I know actually has a firm grasp on their future, and that's perfectly fine. Life isn't about heading down some straight path towards a goal of a golden retirement or that white picket fence or that beachfront home in Florida. It's about the twisting trails spinning off of the main road, the scenic routes and the foliage and the beautiful blue sky. And yes, it's also about the thorns and the tree roots that seem to grab at your ankles and the stormy nights.
But although it might seem so, you won't be alone on this journey. There will be other travelers on the road who will guide you into the unknown, who will hold that lantern in your darkest moments. These paths are well-worn, and the knowledge that other people have conquered these same obstacles will be sure to keep your feet moving.
So explore a little. As cliche as it sounds, we only have a few decades here on this planet, and there's a whole 200 square million miles out there for you to see. Somehow, we all ended up here, together, at a time where so many industries and people are on the verge of new discoveries. So enjoy it.
So no matter how many times I fall down that dreaded main staircase, I'll just pull myself up, brush it off, and continue walking. And I think that's a pretty good summary of high school and life, don't you?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I've fallen down the school stairs six times throughout my high school career, ranging from a couple small stumbles to a legitimate tumble headfirst off the last couple steps. And I think that sums up my -- and a lot of your -- high school experiences.
High school is hard, no matter what the movies or your parents tell you (and, by the way, Dad, just because 10:30 PM was a reasonable bedtime when you were in high school in the 1800's doesn't mean it still is). I've had friends break down before tests, family members come into my room at 3 AM to find me passed out while studying, teachers constantly complaining about unmotivated students. People who say that teenagers are just a bunch of whiny millennials have obviously never spent a hectic day in the life of a high school student. But guys... we made it! We pulled through all-nighters and physics book reports after AP tests and college applications and now we're here.
So now what?
My entire life has been leading up to this moment, from my friendless days of first grade to my slightly less friendless days of senior year -- yet I still find myself just as confused and anxious as five-year-old me was on her first day of elementary school. To be honest, I still have no idea what field I want to go in after college or what I want to major in, and you'd best know that I'll be internally screaming even while getting my diploma in a few minutes. High school has just been this time of "go-go-go," while teachers and parents push you to do better and better and now we're here and we're all lost. Suddenly, the rug's been whipped out from beneath us. The curtains are closing. And we're left alone without any guidance. It's terrifying to say the least, and I don't think a lot of us would like to admit it. After all, we're adults now, aren't we? We're supposed to know how the world works.
But luckily for us, all of that is a lie. Honestly, nobody I know actually has a firm grasp on their future, and that's perfectly fine. Life isn't about heading down some straight path towards a goal of a golden retirement or that white picket fence or that beachfront home in Florida. It's about the twisting trails spinning off of the main road, the scenic routes and the foliage and the beautiful blue sky. And yes, it's also about the thorns and the tree roots that seem to grab at your ankles and the stormy nights.
But although it might seem so, you won't be alone on this journey. There will be other travelers on the road who will guide you into the unknown, who will hold that lantern in your darkest moments. These paths are well-worn, and the knowledge that other people have conquered these same obstacles will be sure to keep your feet moving.
So explore a little. As cliche as it sounds, we only have a few decades here on this planet, and there's a whole 200 square million miles out there for you to see. Somehow, we all ended up here, together, at a time where so many industries and people are on the verge of new discoveries. So enjoy it.
So no matter how many times I fall down that dreaded main staircase, I'll just pull myself up, brush it off, and continue walking. And I think that's a pretty good summary of high school and life, don't you?