2 years ago I was desperately excited to start high school. I thought it meant the beginning of everything good. It meant excitement and experience and fun. I had high standards then, and to my shock, I was disappointed. I’m a junior now and I still think, even after the disappointment of high school not being what I expected, my standards remain high. 

One could argue that I haven’t had the whole experience or tried enough things, but I don’t need to. I feel so lucky to have the will I have. There are so many of you who have no idea who you are, all of us actually. We turn to people, we turn to “fun”, we turn to teachers, we turn to everything but ourselves. The sad reality of being young is that regardless of who loves you, regardless of a relationship you may be in, people will never satisfy. Fun will never satisfy you. 

Someone once told me that people are medicine and I think that’s true in the sense that we are so afraid of being sad and lonely, that we look to people who will never be able to content us. A lot of the time I feel like an outsider looking in and I’m so thankful that I am not the person I’m looking at. 

High school isn’t it. It isn’t the last time you get to have fun. Why do we think that? Why do we tell ourselves that? For some, it justifies stupidity and bad decisions. what a sad thought to imagine, high school being the highlight of your life. We were made for so much more than partying and hanging with people who couldn’t care less about you. “It’s all about memories” if all of your memories of high school are partying and drinking and being stupid, then what kind of life is that. 

This isn’t meant to change your mind, but maybe make you think about the consequences of living a life with no purpose. Don’t think just because you’re young, that you’re off the hook until you have to care. Your life is limited and fleeting. You could die tomorrow, so your response should not be you only live once, but how can I make my life worth the time that I’m given. Strive to make your legacy go beyond yourself.