Is this the death march or graduation?
But what does this mean? Is there nothing left to live for after graduation? Does the achievement of a diploma mean the end of the road? When I turn 18, am I accepting a chain of dead weight? Every sign seems to be promoting the same message: "Live it up… Your years in high school are the best years of your life…Young people have all the fun…You're going to miss this."
While I must agree that young people do indulge in fun, carefree activities, I do not understand the never-ending funeral service. Every activity and accomplishment during senior year is our "last."
"You have to be there; this is your last Christmas concert!"
"This is it, the last football game of your high school career."
"This is the last opportunity we will have to see each other for, well, a lifetime…Do you remember when…"
Why? I may be graduating from high school, but I am not, as far as I know, crawling into my deathbed anytime soon. Sure, life is going to be shaken up after graduation. Our class will part, and we will all travel down separate paths. Activities will change. Hello, reality! Some will head off for college. Some may honor our country by enrolling in the Armed Forces. Most of us will be searching frantically for employment; we all have to eat, right?
Passion, freedom, laughter – these joys do not come to an end solely because we have "grown up."
As an incredibly wise poet once wrote, "You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. You are the guy who'll decide where to go." – Dr. Seuss
Graduation can be a miserable experience if you allow it to be, but that goes for every other experience you will have in a lifetime. You can look at it as the end of a long, unforgettable journey, believing that your best years truly have passed. However, it can also be a wonderful, liberating experience.
Acknowledge all that you have accomplished. Congratulate your classmates, and keep in touch with them. Remember that this is only the beginning. Every day, we are blessed with an opportunity to grow, challenge ourselves, and make a difference. If we choose to spend our "last" days together crying and dwelling on the minor downfalls of reality, we will be missing out on making even more great memories. Why not dance like fools? Study as though books are going extinct. Actually acknowledge that our teachers have lives outside of the classroom, and get to know them. Get to know yourself. Figure out goals, passions, and motivations. If we have those three figured out, the anticipation of the future should be exhilarating.
Graduation is getting closer and closer. All of those so-called "last" events keep passing by. But, ultimately, it is our decision as to whether or not we make something meaningful of them.
To quote one of my absolute favorite movies, "If you wanna be somebody, if you wanna go somewhere, you've got to wake up and pay attention." – Sister Act 2
Be passionate! Be free and laugh! Whether you are a senior in high school, or you graduated 50 years ago, every day could be your last. Do your best. Be grateful for what is sent your way. I don't know about you, but at the end of my life, I want people to think of the difference I made in their lives. Instead of a never-ending funeral, I want my memory to be a never-ending celebration of what life has to offer. What would you want people to remember about you? I guess we are all looking for that answer...
As Ronald Bond, principal of Dover Middle School, used to say, "Make it a great day, or not. The choice is yours!"