As young people, we are always looking to the future. We constantly chatter about the desire for the weekend, the desire for summer, and the desire to graduate. We are looking to what we think will be a much better life when our four years of high school are up. What the majority of us fail to realize is, well, reality.
We forget where we are and who we are.
We are all high school students. You may wish to be in college, or working, or not doing anything at all. But, alas, here you are. Maybe you could try to make the most of it. Maybe you could stop to think about how lucky we are.
We are given a top-notch education, amazing facilities, and unparalleled extracurricular options. Some students may see high school as a prison – but for me, it’s really a blessing to have all of these things available.
High school is a time of exploration, of imagination, of dreaming and planning and befriending and simply enjoying life. We can join a club, play a sport, take a cooking class, or be in a theater production. We don’t have to worry about a full-time job, house payments or a child to care for. We simply have to live our lives (and occasionally do our homework).
I know this may sound a bit ridiculous to you. I understand that the high school life isn’t perfect, and that there will always be drama. There will always be homework and AP tests. Yeah, these may make our lives a bit stressful. But, in the end, we don’t have too much to fret about. We only have four years in high school as free, young people.
Why spend it worrying about a dramatic friend or getting a B on a math test?
Do you think that the people who say that high school is the best four years of your life were in high school when they said this? No – my guess would be that it is a reflection, looking back at a time when they were free and had little responsibilities. Don’t let that escape you. Don’t get caught up in growing up too fast.
There are also students who claim to have already caught the deadly disease known as ‘senioritis.’ To be blunt, this just makes me angry. We are just a few weeks into an amazing school year as high school students, and all some can think about is how soon they can ‘get out of here.’
Honestly, I don’t want to ‘get out of here’ just yet. Maybe I’m just sentimental, but the friends that I’ve made these past four years are more that I could’ve ever asked for. The community I feel here at Southwest is truly amazing. And, as weird as it seems, I don’t mind living in Overland Park. (I don’t think it’s as boring as everyone says.)
I’m not ready to leave this all behind for college. Yes, that day will come. But until then, I plan on enjoying my senior year as a happy, spirited Timberwolf.
The clock is ticking. How many days until graduation? The clock is ticking. I can’t wait to get to college. The clock is ticking. High school is so overrated. The clock is ticking. Wait. Where did those four years go?
