Carpe Diem.

Well, after 1,366 days, we’re finally coming to a close. faster than I’d imagined it would, kinda scared me with how close those deadlines got, but hey, we made it. 

 From my very first day of school in this district, in 3rd grade, I’d always imagined that I would be in school for what felt like forever, but now that it’s finally ending, that last 10 years didn’t feel all that long, sure it did in the moment, but if we really think about it, it didn’t feel all that long. To be fair we all pretty much skipped middle school thanks to COVID, mostly filled with staying inside, and staring at screens for hours at a time. It was horrible, so that probably had something to do with how fast time seemed to pass. And elementary school, well, that was so long ago I don’t remember a lot of it, but I do remember these last 4 years, and they went by real quick.

 I remember freshman year, seeing the seniors on the other side of the gym during assemblies, thinking that they were worried about colleges and jobs and where to go next, and to now think that those same people are what, juniors in college, and are in a similar situation, looking for jobs, and where to live, and crazy really.  Even crazier, we’ll be those people moving into colleges and jobs soon, in the same situations they were in. We are, whether you like it or not, now entering the actual real world. I’ve no idea what to expect if I’m to be honest, for myself or any of you. But if there’s one take away I’ve learnt, and maybe you have too, but dont rush through things, of course dont procrastinate, as im sure we all have, but, take your time, take in the things around you, your surroundings, the people, and the experiences. Life moves oddly quick, so don’t miss out. 

There’s a movie, A Dead Poets Society, and in this movie, there’s a character played by Robin Williams who acts as a form of mentor, rather than a teacher to his students, giving things to carry with them in life, rather than teaching things like math and english, and one of the things he tells these kids is a phrase. Carpe Diem. this is a Latin phrase that essentially means, to fully live your life, do things, see things, and don’t waste the little time we have on the planet. Make the most of the present and think of the future when you get to it, take chances, make plans, say yes when you could say no. Quite literally, seize the day! This is a phrase that I heard years ago, and I think I’ll take it more seriously now, and I hope you all will too. 

Thank you Oak hill students and staff; it’s been quite the journey, but it’s over now, after those 1,366 days, we’re finally done, and it’s time to head out.

“clock face snip” by sammydavisdog is licensed under CC BY 2.0.