"High School is like a spork: it's a crappy spoon and a crappy fork, so in the end it's
just plain useless." -John Mayer
Now, I must start out by saying that I in no way, shape, or form have hard feelings toward my high school. In fact, I have absolutely loved most of my experiences within its well-seasoned walls. I love the people I've met, the relationships I've cultivated, the experiences I've relished. To put it simply, I have no complaints. I don't believe high school is useless by any stretch of the imagination.
But I do believe that high school must come to an end, and we all come to grips with this fact at different points in our lives. Some realize it early on. I'm talking far before high school actually ends. Some realize it as they clasp their diploma in their sweaty hands on graduation day. And still others remain high on high school far into their twenties. I'm not here to say that one response is more correct than the others, or that one response is something to be ashamed of. Because neither of those things would be correct, and neither would be my decision to make. I'm simply here to state where I'm at on my own personal journey.
My friend and I talk about this all the time at lunch. And I loved what she said about it the other day. "If you had told me last year at this time that I was going to miss my Senior Homecoming, Senior Retreat, and countless important games, I honestly would have freaked out. But I'm okay with it. It doesn't bother me that much because I feel like I'm ready to move on." Well, hey. I'm 100% with you, sister. It's not that I'm fed up with high school. I'm simply ready to press onward. To move forward. To encounter a new, alluring, chill-inducing adventure. I want to see new things. I want to try new things. Heck, I want to eat new things. And I just believe that you can only live in this small of a world for so long. There comes a point where you have to face the idea that there is more to this world than the bubble we try to convince ourselves that it is.
Maybe it's because I know what I want to do with my life or maybe it's just because I am uncannily restless. I hate monotony. Either way, I feel as though I'm becoming less and less high on high school. I like learning, but only when I don't have to. I LOVE writing, but not about things that don't pull at my heart strings or spark my interests. I like spending time with great people, but sometimes meeting new ones sounds like Christmas. In other words, I'm ready for change. I'm ready to live my own life.
The other day, I read an article about some of my favorite famous people - writers, comedians, actors, actresses. It was all about how they were the farthest thing from popular in their high school days. Some of them were made fun of, some were ignored, some were known only for their out-of-the-norm antics. And then it hit me. Sometimes, I think the key to doing tremendous things is to not be the envy of everyone in your high school. You would have to be too normal, too mainstream to be that. Different is what captivates. Strange is what makes hilarity. Uncommon thoughts are what make for good writing. High school is not the end-all, be-all. It does not define where you go in life. So, in that sense, yes, I do believe that high school can be considered useless.
But I'm not going to let it be. I'll soak in the moments of this last year. I'll take some lessons with me. And then I'll go do some damage in the world. Thank you, high school. For being gracious to me and for prompting me to do something much bigger. For prompting me to leave.
But I do believe that high school must come to an end, and we all come to grips with this fact at different points in our lives. Some realize it early on. I'm talking far before high school actually ends. Some realize it as they clasp their diploma in their sweaty hands on graduation day. And still others remain high on high school far into their twenties. I'm not here to say that one response is more correct than the others, or that one response is something to be ashamed of. Because neither of those things would be correct, and neither would be my decision to make. I'm simply here to state where I'm at on my own personal journey.
My friend and I talk about this all the time at lunch. And I loved what she said about it the other day. "If you had told me last year at this time that I was going to miss my Senior Homecoming, Senior Retreat, and countless important games, I honestly would have freaked out. But I'm okay with it. It doesn't bother me that much because I feel like I'm ready to move on." Well, hey. I'm 100% with you, sister. It's not that I'm fed up with high school. I'm simply ready to press onward. To move forward. To encounter a new, alluring, chill-inducing adventure. I want to see new things. I want to try new things. Heck, I want to eat new things. And I just believe that you can only live in this small of a world for so long. There comes a point where you have to face the idea that there is more to this world than the bubble we try to convince ourselves that it is.
Maybe it's because I know what I want to do with my life or maybe it's just because I am uncannily restless. I hate monotony. Either way, I feel as though I'm becoming less and less high on high school. I like learning, but only when I don't have to. I LOVE writing, but not about things that don't pull at my heart strings or spark my interests. I like spending time with great people, but sometimes meeting new ones sounds like Christmas. In other words, I'm ready for change. I'm ready to live my own life.
The other day, I read an article about some of my favorite famous people - writers, comedians, actors, actresses. It was all about how they were the farthest thing from popular in their high school days. Some of them were made fun of, some were ignored, some were known only for their out-of-the-norm antics. And then it hit me. Sometimes, I think the key to doing tremendous things is to not be the envy of everyone in your high school. You would have to be too normal, too mainstream to be that. Different is what captivates. Strange is what makes hilarity. Uncommon thoughts are what make for good writing. High school is not the end-all, be-all. It does not define where you go in life. So, in that sense, yes, I do believe that high school can be considered useless.
But I'm not going to let it be. I'll soak in the moments of this last year. I'll take some lessons with me. And then I'll go do some damage in the world. Thank you, high school. For being gracious to me and for prompting me to do something much bigger. For prompting me to leave.
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