Carry Yourself High, You Did It

As I approach the end of my high school career, I find myself in a reflective state. School was not always easy for me. Also, not what I would describe as fun. There will be certain aspects that I will miss as part of my daily routine.

  I know it’s going to be weird that one day the people I saw almost every day for hours upon end will slowly become strangers. It’s something I’ve thought about quite a bit, and I’m sure you all have had the same thought at some point this year. Maybe it’s just sinking in now. 

I’m not someone who is afraid of change, because I know that there’s only so much I can control. Because after all, I am one man. But I’m not afraid to begin on this new path because there came a certain point in my junior year when I realized, you can’t control everything that life is going to throw at you can be proactive, and take control of how you are going to deal with your hardships. That is mental strength. 

Every year of high school definitely had its bright moments, but as I got older, I was so stressed out and busy, I was only able to see the negative side of things because there was such a heavy weight on my shoulders. My father had been diagnosed with late stage prostate cancer, my brother, who was my best friend, went away to college only to come back as a shell of himself, and I made my fair share of mistakes. 

Recently, after I found out that my teammate passed away, and I felt like the world was moving around me when I was going in slow motion. I’m sure some of you have had this exact feeling, but I had to stop feeling bad for myself and pull myself off the ground, because no one was going to finish high school for me. It was up to me to gather the mental strength to keep going. I was also lucky enough to have my supportive family and partner to lean on when I felt down or alone. 

One positive life skill I will be taking with me is the trade of carpentry. At first, I was disappointed that I did not get into my first choice at LRTC which was plumbing. I quickly picked up on many skills and techniques within the carpentry program, and even if there’s more money in plumbing, I’d have to juggle a turd or two at some point. The carpentry tasks became increasingly more challenging, which gave me even more valuable skills. Watching things come together proved to be fun and rewarding.    

The most positive aspect of my high school experience, hands down, has been music. I have been fortunate enough to have an amazing band director who trusts my judgement on how to perform a kick ass show. Whenever I was feeling low, the inviting music room would once again call for me, and help me escape, even just for a little bit. This is another valuable skill I will be taking with me in life.

In closing, I made it through these past four years with an optimistic outlook and a bit of an empty feeling. These years have not always been kind, but in spite of that I have had my most successful academic year this year. I have learned that your own well being should sit just as high as your other life priorities.

“Clouds coming in as we walked through endless fields.” by Bill Bereza is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.