I’m sorry, what? Are you telling me that in a matter of days, hours in fact, that I will be officially a high school graduate? Me, no way. Absolutely not. It seems almost too good to be true, like there was a fluke in the system and now all of a sudden I’m actually going to be leaving the place where I spent over 5,000 hours of my life cramming information into my already overflowing mind and spitting it out onto a piece of paper.
If I had to do it all over again (and trust me I do not), I would definitely take a different spin to this shindig to spice things up a little. High school is known and notorious for sucking the lives out of students who are just trying to figure themselves out, but, and hear me out, there are some pots of gold at the end of the rainbow. So, here’s my two cents for my past self and all the curious 14 year-olds who soon will be walking through the infamous halls: wear comfortable shoes.
Speaking from personal experience, days can be long and tiresome, especially for those who participate in a bucketload of extracurriculars as I did. From waking up to a pit of darkness outside (I know you know the struggles of daylight savings) to staying after until the sun sets, this journey is not for the weak. On top of that, you will come to learn that lockers are more of a design element than a practical one, so expect to carry a twenty-pound backpack filled to the brim with notebooks, binders, folders and miscellaneous papers. Thus, comfortable shoes are the way to go because you are in for a long trek.
However, these shoes will not only support you physically, but mentally as well. As a freshman, routine and organization were my best friends. You could not find me doing anything different from what I did the day before, and it was because I hated the uncomfortable feeling that came with trying something new. I kept pushing the mindset that familiarity was the only way for me to succeed, and it really screwed me over.
After my freshman year, I began to venture into the unfamiliar and forced myself to be uncomfortable. I started to take part in activities and clubs that I would have never given a second thought to (yes, I am talking about Harby), and actually enjoyed myself. Sure, walking into a room for the first time not knowing many people or what exactly I was going to do there was intimidating, but after getting over the awkward part of the unknown and defining what I want, all my endeavors evolved into an enthusiasm for fun.
Looking back, I realize that those uncomfortable moments were exactly what pushed me to grow. These snippets of my life allowed me to discover parts of myself that I didn’t know existed. I would have never met the people that I keep close to my heart or found my love for sharing people’s stories had I not taken that step to push myself out of my comfort zone.
During this time, you will try countless new things, many for the first time. You will experience the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, whether that be with friendships, grades or identity. And that’s totally fine—in fact, it’s normal. You just have to embrace change instead of fearing it because once you do, trust me your life is going to become such a thrilling ride.
Personal growth often requires discomfort. Yet it is this discomfort that shapes you into who you are meant to become. So, as you walk through the hallways of Algonquin, wear comfortable shoes—you’ll need them for every step of the journey.
