Something I realized at Mayfair is that no one stays the same. The person you came into Mayfair as is not the same person you are when you leave. If you haven't changed then you haven't grown. Change isn't always for the better, but when it is it means you're maturing. Coming into middle school all I cared about was having a good time. Every time I did something wrong or failed to achieve expectations I could always say, "It's just middle school...it doesn't count".
Then when I entered high school reality hit me like a ton of bricks yet somehow early on I still wanted to be the "popular girl". My parents always complained I had too many friends and didn't have to attend every event I was invited too. Then along came sports, and the more time I dedicated to athletics the more distant my friends became. A lot of the people I called my "besties" weren't on the same path that I am now and didn't have the same goals. My circle of friends grew smaller and smaller to the point where I only had a handful to fall back on when the going got rough.
If you take nothing away from what I've said thus far, just know that your priorities begin to change the more you grow. As I prepare to apply for college and take my SATs I am constantly drawn back to memories of the past and a fear awakens inside me. The fear to grow up...branch out. This has been something I've been avoiding all summer. As much as I wish time would come to a halt, we can all agree that it won't. Although graduation, life after high school, and commencement speeches are something I'd rather not think about; This Is Water by David Foster Wallace gave me hope for the future. Quotes such as, "The things you're least certain about sometimes work best and if you make mistakes it means you're out there doing something" assured me that I will be okay.
If you have a handful of good friends you can rely on, you really are rich. One or two really good friends is a gift. :)
ReplyDeleteWow, I never really thought about this much, but I completely agree and can relate with this post because without change you can't grow. When you grow your priorities start to change and reading this post made me realize how much I have changed and grown up since middle school. My thought process is completely different about my future now as a senior rather than as a 7th grader. My focus is different and I'm glad that I changed because that's how I realized I showed growth and I will continue to grow as a person. Overall I completely agree and can relate with this post and I am very happy I read it.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what is being said in this post. However, I do not believe that we change throughout our lives. I believe we grow into the people who we are meant to be. We stay the same to the core and our surroundings and experiences change around us. An example would be a person that has a tendency to lie frequently, if they get in trouble they may grow up and learn to tell the truth, but in the end they still have the potential to lie.
ReplyDeleteReading this post, does open my eyes because with out change you would still have that little middle school/freshman in you and honestly nobody wants to see that. I also feel like your right on the changing through out your whole life because your learning new things each and everyday ad with out the learning who would people be. Seriously change and learning are such a big part of the the world. if we stopped changing right after high school we would still be in that phase and without reality your a person who has only learned and changed from high school or a bit after.
ReplyDelete