I’m seeing my high school memories flashing past me with every last couple of steps I take in the building.
I’m seeing struggles that made me a bit stronger, experiences that permanently changed me, some friendships that came together and some that came apart.
My parents have always told me, Don´t focus on entertainment and trends that come and go. Their advice shaped the way I viewed high school: as my final opportunity to collect my thoughts and decide what kind of person I wanted to be once I graduated.
After all, I knew responsibility was quickly approaching and I was going to miss the quiet moments of high school once I had gone to the “real world,” as they say.
One of the first lessons I learned in high school was that trends and popular items are nothing but changing winds that shift and leave things behind as quickly as they were brought up. So, there was no reason for me to stress over the newest shoe that, in a couple weeks, no one is going to care about.
Freshman year, I made the mistake of chasing a collection of clothes I wanted to buy that, in two weeks, I was no longer interested in. I did not know how to be content with the things I already had.
Something else I learned is that it does not matter what people think of you. One day a certain group of people might respect you, and the next, they hate you for simply never participating in a sport or activity that they do.
It took time, but I was finally introduced to the concept of being enough as a human being, even when some of those around me said I was not. I tried to concentrate on my loved ones and relied on them to outweigh insults I used to hear yelled out to me in class.
On a more positive note, high school helped me diversify my friend group.
Previously, I had only been exposed to the Hispanic community, but I told my freshman self, be open to people who look different from you. Because of this, I have learned so much about the cultures of new friends. Now, I have learned about major things like new religions and perspectives on life.
Now, I’m not saying you have to be friends with everyone.
You might come across some people in this school who have to grow up and mature before they are worthy of your company. But don’t give up on them either. Four years is plenty of time to change; patience is key.
High school was truly a learning experience for me. I don’t really see myself looking back at it in the future, but it did help me appreciate the things I have now and the opportunities I will have in the future.
And maybe that’s the best thing about high school: it helps you see the path you are going to take in life.
Hello! My name is Tristan Acosta and I'm a junior at Oswego High School, this is my first year of being on the 42Fifty staff. You can contact me by emailing 42Fifty@sd308.org and putting my name in the subject line. We welcome comments on our articles and feedback on our publication!
