Classic rock giant – only in the metaphorical sense – Paul Simon once wrote:
A man walks down the street
He says, “Why am I soft in the middle, now?
Why am I soft in the middle?
The rest of my life is so hard
This is, in essence, the high school experience. To find your identity at a time where you are being exposed to new people, beliefs and ideas for the first time.
It really does happen fast – though perhaps this is exaggerated by the fact that we had less time at WJ than the typical class. Walking through the halls these past couple weeks has really hit home how they’ve transformed just as much as I have.
The spaces that seemed so big and intimidating during 9th grade orientation have been filled with memories, ones that I wouldn’t trade for anything. Learning Italian, joining Science Olympiad, playing on the drumline and writing for the Pitch are all wonderful experiences that I deeply cherish, and to say goodbye to them, and the places where occurred and thus are intrinsically connected to, is a harrowing thought.
After all, how could any college campus, which now seems just as big and intimidating, compare to the place you’ve called home for the past four years? It does seem anxiety-inducing to leave a place where so many memories have been carved for something new. But it’s important not to forget what high school is. It’s a temporary home, filled with the impacts and legacies of those who have passed through it. It’s designed to help you grow as an individual, and fittingly as a school the last and most difficult lesson that it will teach you is how to say goodbye to the people that have had an indelible mark on your life.
To those who are not yet graduating I implore you all to seek out as many experiences and activities that pique your curiosity as you possibly can. Do your best to make sure that when you’re reflecting on your own time at WJ you have no regrets. Though if you do, don’t despair – they’re the things that help us grow the most.
