This is it

Well, this is it guys… After graduation most of us won’t see one another for ten years, if that. I’m not going to stand up here and lie about how close we all were or how amazing high school was. Some of us are going to college, others are going straight to work and I personally cannot wait. I have sat on the side lines, jumping from friend group to friend group, doing my best to stay out of the drama. Through my best efforts I have still heard some of the horrid things that many of you have been a part of: like spreading rumors and lies about someone, or flirting with your so called “friends” boyfriend, or just being awful to one another. I can promise you this, I will not miss any of the petty drama but the things I will miss will be the hardest things to walk away from, and they won’t really hit me until they are gone.

As I reflect on my not-so-thrilling high school career, trying to come up with reasons why I was going to miss it or why it was going to be so hard for me to take the next step in my life, I realized that it’s not because of all the great parties I went to or the clubs that I was a part of or the crazy friday night football games, or the classes, but it was the everyday things that we seemed to overlook.

I am going to miss the sound of Mr.Carney’s clap filling the hallways, or always having the opportunity to walk into the science office for a good conversations where you learn about crazy facts as Mr.Crocker and Mr.Bouche make jokes that go way over our heads. Most of the time we just talk about Mr.Crocker’s obsession with board games or how Mr.Bouche loves butter. Though You must remember to knock three times, say “Crocker”, then knock three more times before entering. I love knowing that everytime I walk into the art room, there will be a live video of the most adorable goats on the projector as I debate with Mrs. Arnt about how it’s okay to burp in public, and how she’s just super sensitive. It’s great knowing that every red day when I come back from LRTC, Mr. Paquette is on lunch duty, ready to listen to me go on and on about how amazing the preschool was and how much I love the kiddos while he mocks how big of a smile I have on my face. Or walking into Mr.Anderson’s room just to fill his board with the worst puns; and having a joke of the day to tell Tommy and Mr. Caswell.  Mrs. Gem constantly sitting in the guidance office to listen to me cry about not knowing what I am going to do with my life, luckily she was there to help me figure it out. Forever being able to walk into Anthony’s room just to bounce ideas off of him or for some witty banter, that usually isn’t that witty but enjoyable nonetheless. Walking through the hallways and hearing all the “good mornings” and “have a good days” it’s feels welcoming, like a second home.

All those things are so miniscule but make the largest impact. A friend told me once that you miss things so much because it becomes a routine. You don’t realize it’s happening but as days go by of doing the same things over and over you just get so used to the little joy that it brings so much that you overlook it. Then when you walk away, all of that is gone, it’s like a heart break. You hurt so much and feel so lonely because they are gone, but most of it is just because you made a routine of talking to them everyday, and after having the same routine for so long that when you step out of that routine your world is shaken up, it’s changing. We all struggle with change, some more then others, but all of us do whether we want to admit it or not it’s there. We create routines and schedules to keep ourselves sane, next year no matter where you go or what you do, take a look at the little everyday things you do and see if it’s working or if it’s not. If it’s not, then change it, but if it is… Hold on to it as tight as you can and appreciate it while you have it because life has a funny way of taking it away and kicking you out of your comfy little nest to see if you fly. Good luck flying guys, I wish you all the best.

Photo by Oky – Space Ranger on Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND