Dimitri
May 30th, 2011, 09:11 PM
Four years ago we stepped into high school … individuals seeking to do well, to find our identity, to find our best friend. We opened our lockers for the first time, looked at our schedules, and thought about how great it was to finally be in high school. Four years ago we met our best friend, we went to our first school dance, had a crush on a cute senior. Four years ago, we couldn't wait to get older
Three years ago we stepped into high school believing that we owned the place. No longer the lowly freshman, we had a new attitude. Still individuals searching for themselves, looking to fit in, wanting to achieve something. We followed our daily routines, got our licenses, expanded our circle of friends, and talked about parties. Three years ago we made a new best friend, went out with our friends every weekend, thought we were too mature for school dances. Three years ago we couldn't wait to get older.
Two years ago we became upper classman. We began to realize that we were growing up. We started driving out on weekends. Two years ago we realized who our true friends were and cherished the times we spent with them. We found where we fit in, yet still seemed to be looking for something else. Two years ago we started talking about college, thinking it was still so far away. We had our junior prom, cheered our hardest at football games, and started to realize that time really does fly. But two years ago we still couldn't wait to get older.
One year ago we entered the school as seniors. We had “senioritis” before classes even resumed, we got to leave school early and come in late. Everything we did was the last … our last homecoming pep rally, our last season in a sport, our last birthday at home. One year ago we took our time together for granted, we went to party after party on the weekend, we rebelled, and we learned. One year ago, we still had the same best friend and cherished time spent with them. We started applying to college, far and near. We got accepted, we got rejected, and we found exactly where we wanted to go. We realized that we would no longer have the comfort of home within a year.
Now, we finally realize that we could have waited to get older. We realize that time has somehow slipped away and soon we will be saying good-bye. Saying good-bye to our friends, our family, and our home. Maybe for a short time … maybe forever. Soon we will go to our senior prom, graduate, sit for the last time with everyone. It is the last time we will all be together, recognized as the class of 2011. Now we are getting excited about starting over, getting sad about what we will leave behind, getting anxious to move on. Now we realize just how important our best friends are, how much fun we really did have in the four years. Now we wish we could be younger. We wish we could have taken the time to appreciate every moment … to slow down time. Now we face having to say good-bye.
In one year we will return as different people. We will have experienced dorm life, ate campus food, and met new friends. We will have joined a club, maybe a sorority or a fraternity, done something new. In one year we will be new people. We will still be searching for our identity … to find our niche. We will have picked majors, changed majors, passed and failed at things we tried. In one year we will know more about ourselves and what we want to become. We will remember the past times and look fondly at the memories, although we will have created new memories. Yet one thing will still remain. In one year, we will still have that same best friend. Maybe since kindergarten, maybe since high school, maybe a college roommate. That person can be found in new friends and old. Without them, we would have nothing. Four years brought change. Friendship held us strong when things were shaky, in good times and bad, in laughter and tears, through boyfriends, girlfriends, bad grades, family problems, and love … our friends showed us that life was worth enjoying. With them, we wanted to grow up so quickly. Now, they are the only ones with whom we will remain forever young.
I could say hello, but I don't want to disturb the memory. I've lived in this place and I know all the faces. Each one is different, but they're always the same. They mean me no harm but it's time that I face it, they'll never allow me to change... But, I never dreamed home would end up where I don't belong... I'm moving on.
As we grow up we learn that even the one person, who wasn't supposed to let you down, probably will. You will have your heart broken, probably more than once, and it's not easier the second time around. You'll break hearts too, so remember how it felt when yours was broken. You'll fight with your best friend, and you may even fall in love with them. It won't hit you as you write that generic essay letter that you try to use for all your applications. It won't hit you as your college friends return for Christmas break and give you all their advice. It won't hit you as you celebrate New Year's with the friends you have known since childhood. It won't hit you when you cheer at your last Senior night and cry your eyes out! You won't feel it when you are having the time of your life at your last spring break. You don't realize it during senior skip day, when everyone, no matter what group you are in, has a picnic.
When May finally comes around and you realize that it is your last Prom, but you don't really feel it when you are there having the time of your life. You begin to realize it at Graduation when you look around and realize that you will never see half of these people again. You will begin to see it more over the summer when everyone is getting their roommates, class schedules, and going to orientation. It still hasn't fully hit you when you are sitting in your room packing up the past 18 years of your life, laughing with your best friend about all the stupid stuff you've done. You might feel it the morning you leave for college as that it is the last time you will see your room, your parents, and your best friend for like 3 months. It will finally hit you when you are sitting in your dorm room with a perfect stranger that you have to live with for the next year.
PLEASE make every moment of your Senior year count, you only get to do it once. College will be a lot of fun, but in the meantime, jump at every opportunity you get to do anything that you have ever wanted to do. Spend as much time with friends as possible, for it will not be long until you meet new people and inevitably grow apart.
There are some things that we never want to let go of. People we never want to leave behind. But keep in mind that letting go isn't the end of the world. It's the beginning of new life.
And it’s happened again. I’ll turn to a friend, someone who understands, sees through the master plan. But everybody's gone. And I’ve been here for too long to face this on my own. Well I guess this is growing up. We never really grow up. We just learn how to act in public. The turning point in the process of growing up is when you discover the core of strength within you that survives all hurt.
The hardest thing about growing up is that you have to do what's best for you, even if it means breaking someone's heart, including your own. You can tell a child is growing up when he stops asking where he came from and starts refusing to tell where he is going. Growing up is never easy. You hold on to things that were. You wonder what's to come. But that night, I think we knew it was time to let go of what had been, and look ahead to what would be, other days; new days; days to come. The thing is we didn't have to hate each other for getting older; we just had to forgive ourselves...for growing up.
When is the age or even the moment when you go from being kids to being something else? People say that we're growing up too fast today. Sometimes adults make it sound like it's our fault or at least our choice, but how can we not? We feel invincible, we know so much. One thing I do know is that we're so eager to lose our innocence and I wonder if one day, we'll look back and wish we hadn't.
Three years ago we stepped into high school believing that we owned the place. No longer the lowly freshman, we had a new attitude. Still individuals searching for themselves, looking to fit in, wanting to achieve something. We followed our daily routines, got our licenses, expanded our circle of friends, and talked about parties. Three years ago we made a new best friend, went out with our friends every weekend, thought we were too mature for school dances. Three years ago we couldn't wait to get older.
Two years ago we became upper classman. We began to realize that we were growing up. We started driving out on weekends. Two years ago we realized who our true friends were and cherished the times we spent with them. We found where we fit in, yet still seemed to be looking for something else. Two years ago we started talking about college, thinking it was still so far away. We had our junior prom, cheered our hardest at football games, and started to realize that time really does fly. But two years ago we still couldn't wait to get older.
One year ago we entered the school as seniors. We had “senioritis” before classes even resumed, we got to leave school early and come in late. Everything we did was the last … our last homecoming pep rally, our last season in a sport, our last birthday at home. One year ago we took our time together for granted, we went to party after party on the weekend, we rebelled, and we learned. One year ago, we still had the same best friend and cherished time spent with them. We started applying to college, far and near. We got accepted, we got rejected, and we found exactly where we wanted to go. We realized that we would no longer have the comfort of home within a year.
Now, we finally realize that we could have waited to get older. We realize that time has somehow slipped away and soon we will be saying good-bye. Saying good-bye to our friends, our family, and our home. Maybe for a short time … maybe forever. Soon we will go to our senior prom, graduate, sit for the last time with everyone. It is the last time we will all be together, recognized as the class of 2011. Now we are getting excited about starting over, getting sad about what we will leave behind, getting anxious to move on. Now we realize just how important our best friends are, how much fun we really did have in the four years. Now we wish we could be younger. We wish we could have taken the time to appreciate every moment … to slow down time. Now we face having to say good-bye.
In one year we will return as different people. We will have experienced dorm life, ate campus food, and met new friends. We will have joined a club, maybe a sorority or a fraternity, done something new. In one year we will be new people. We will still be searching for our identity … to find our niche. We will have picked majors, changed majors, passed and failed at things we tried. In one year we will know more about ourselves and what we want to become. We will remember the past times and look fondly at the memories, although we will have created new memories. Yet one thing will still remain. In one year, we will still have that same best friend. Maybe since kindergarten, maybe since high school, maybe a college roommate. That person can be found in new friends and old. Without them, we would have nothing. Four years brought change. Friendship held us strong when things were shaky, in good times and bad, in laughter and tears, through boyfriends, girlfriends, bad grades, family problems, and love … our friends showed us that life was worth enjoying. With them, we wanted to grow up so quickly. Now, they are the only ones with whom we will remain forever young.
I could say hello, but I don't want to disturb the memory. I've lived in this place and I know all the faces. Each one is different, but they're always the same. They mean me no harm but it's time that I face it, they'll never allow me to change... But, I never dreamed home would end up where I don't belong... I'm moving on.
As we grow up we learn that even the one person, who wasn't supposed to let you down, probably will. You will have your heart broken, probably more than once, and it's not easier the second time around. You'll break hearts too, so remember how it felt when yours was broken. You'll fight with your best friend, and you may even fall in love with them. It won't hit you as you write that generic essay letter that you try to use for all your applications. It won't hit you as your college friends return for Christmas break and give you all their advice. It won't hit you as you celebrate New Year's with the friends you have known since childhood. It won't hit you when you cheer at your last Senior night and cry your eyes out! You won't feel it when you are having the time of your life at your last spring break. You don't realize it during senior skip day, when everyone, no matter what group you are in, has a picnic.
When May finally comes around and you realize that it is your last Prom, but you don't really feel it when you are there having the time of your life. You begin to realize it at Graduation when you look around and realize that you will never see half of these people again. You will begin to see it more over the summer when everyone is getting their roommates, class schedules, and going to orientation. It still hasn't fully hit you when you are sitting in your room packing up the past 18 years of your life, laughing with your best friend about all the stupid stuff you've done. You might feel it the morning you leave for college as that it is the last time you will see your room, your parents, and your best friend for like 3 months. It will finally hit you when you are sitting in your dorm room with a perfect stranger that you have to live with for the next year.
PLEASE make every moment of your Senior year count, you only get to do it once. College will be a lot of fun, but in the meantime, jump at every opportunity you get to do anything that you have ever wanted to do. Spend as much time with friends as possible, for it will not be long until you meet new people and inevitably grow apart.
There are some things that we never want to let go of. People we never want to leave behind. But keep in mind that letting go isn't the end of the world. It's the beginning of new life.
And it’s happened again. I’ll turn to a friend, someone who understands, sees through the master plan. But everybody's gone. And I’ve been here for too long to face this on my own. Well I guess this is growing up. We never really grow up. We just learn how to act in public. The turning point in the process of growing up is when you discover the core of strength within you that survives all hurt.
The hardest thing about growing up is that you have to do what's best for you, even if it means breaking someone's heart, including your own. You can tell a child is growing up when he stops asking where he came from and starts refusing to tell where he is going. Growing up is never easy. You hold on to things that were. You wonder what's to come. But that night, I think we knew it was time to let go of what had been, and look ahead to what would be, other days; new days; days to come. The thing is we didn't have to hate each other for getting older; we just had to forgive ourselves...for growing up.
When is the age or even the moment when you go from being kids to being something else? People say that we're growing up too fast today. Sometimes adults make it sound like it's our fault or at least our choice, but how can we not? We feel invincible, we know so much. One thing I do know is that we're so eager to lose our innocence and I wonder if one day, we'll look back and wish we hadn't.