Before “The Good Ole Days” Begin

By Rami Dillard

As a teenage girl who got used to the small scene of elementary and middle school, I sometimes find the mere idea of high school very scary. Meeting people you’ve never seen before, seeing some you used to go to school with… to me, I feel this will not only be a different scene but also a whole new ballgame.

As I’m getting through this summer, I have noticed that almost every time I get the question, “Are you excited for high school?” I always seem to put on a fake or nervous smile and say “yes”, but I know deep down I’m more nervous than anything. It’s even more scary to think about how many kids my age have the mindset that these next four years will feel the same and treat them like something they’ll get again. Or all the shy kids who may not get to experience this moment with friends or anyone at all to support them.

This is why the opportunities that come with high school are important! I believe that not only school staff, but everyone in the community should pour in!  Encourage students to change their mindset. To put more effort into school, activities, the experience, or just simply put themselves out there more. Take a chance! Try something new!  

As a girl who likes to focus on the future more than the present, I know that some way or somehow, me and everyone around me will be completely fine! When you hear all the amazing stories people have from life, most are from high school. “The good ole days,” many say. So, as I think more about it, why stress myself out with all the worries and bad things that could come with the next four years of my life when I could be getting excited to experience some of the upcoming best times in my life? Even when the schoolwork piles up, and we struggle to keep ourselves motivated, I do my best to simply think of where I’ll be in four years and keep pushing toward that goal.

I cannot fathom the opportunities in front of me! I think about my friends who are passionate about sports. I wonder what it will be like for them? I cannot wait for the day we walk across that graduation stage and hear about all the money in scholarships we will receive. But even as I look to the future, I remember the importance of living in the present.  Experiencing things, I never imagined and looking back. Maybe one day, we will think of high school and be saying, “The good ole days.”