The Warmth of the Rising Sun
Kira P.
I look back on the years I’ve spent in high school, and I can’t say I recognize the person I walked in as — with the intense focus on academics and awkward-cold demeanor. I came into high school looking to make no connections, to leave as the best student I could be without being dragged by distractions — spending countless late nights studying, with hands shaking from overloading on caffeine, followed by a rush of anxiety before assessments. In retrospect, I find this fast and intense life as a student to be something I admire, yet I find no joy in those kinds of accomplishments in the end. These numbers and letters I have earned, in the end, have little to no weight in my mind. However when I think back on the past 4 years, I will always think back to the nostalgic feeling of freezing water, the warm sun, and the voices of people I love. The corners of my mouth creeping into a grin as I furiously text old friends. The rush of playing violin as an orchestra on stage, the intensity of the stage lights blinding me, being absorbed into the great swell of sound. Sitting on the cold tile floor after school, back against the metal locker doors surrounded by cheerful laughter. I will always think back to watching the sunrise consumed in a cleansing calm that was slowly followed by a tumultuous storm.
This year is nothing like what I had hoped it to be, but I will always remember the past feeling of sparks within my chest and mind when I think of all the people I have met, and the people I have loved who will always have my sentiments. I still find great purpose within my work, but when entering high school, I was naive to think that I was only valuable as a robotic student, whose only function was to work. As of the present I find much value in the people in my life, yet I am still an aspiring time traveler eager to reclaim this lost year. I am forced to abandon this by the inescapable inertia of life. However, I now recognize that we are all on this journey as times have begun to change once again. We may rest our tired minds upon the shoulders of other weary travelers and look forward to the warmth of the rising sun in the distance.
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