COLUMN: Knowing change is coming isn’t easy

Many of my adult friends have told me how great their high school experiences were. I’ll be the first to admit that my high school experience wasn’t all fine and dandy. Come on, you can’t expect every day to be magnificent. Bad things were bound to happen. My first two years of high school, I really just wished I would be through with high school.

Then I got some great advice from a dear friend who told me that with time, you will reflect on the good moments of high school and you’ll make them great. Since my junior year, I started doing that. It still makes me tear up at times when I think about stuff that happened just last year. It’s the final stretch of this chapter of my life.

I know there are so many things that I’m going to miss from every year. I’ve started to laugh at the bad that happened. At the time, all the drama and conflict seemed so important but now I realize how immature it all was. A good part of growing up is maturing and trust me folks, I’ve matured so much from freshman year. High school is about discovering yourself and becoming a young adult. I certainly know I’ve done that.

Looking back on it all, it seems amazing to be at this point. I’ve seen so many friends cross that 50 yard line and grab their diplomas, but I never pictured myself as a senior ruling the school. Once you’re here, it feels so surreal. This is really it. It’s exciting and it’s terrifying.

The whole high school experience has been a wild ride, and I’m sad to see it coming to an end. Next year I won’t be walking the halls of Winder-Barrow. I won’t be auditioning for the class one-act play. I won’t be sitting at lunch enjoying the company of my friends.

Everything changes this year. Change can be good and bad. In this case, it’s both. The bad is that I’ll no longer see many of my friends and favorite teachers on a day to day basis. The good is that I start a new chapter of my life and I’ll take everything I’ve learned from my high school experience with me.

I’ve finally come to realize why high school reunions are so special. You can reconnect with your friends and relive this exciting and confusing time of your life. It’s good to have memories of these days. Although it tears me up inside at times to think about it ending, I keep my head up high, understanding that it’s time to move on, and I hold onto these precious moments in my mind forever.

Jessica Brown is a senior at Winder-Barrow High School and the staff photographer for the Barrow Journal. You can reach her at jessica@picsbyjessica.com