Perspectives.

The defining point of life is perspective. Sometimes you’re the bug; sometimes you’re the windshield. As I was driving home from work one evening, I was thinking about how many people compare life to a winding road. There are many famous quotations on looking forward, never back, and living life with no regrets. As much as I would like to say I never look back, I know I’m only lying to myself. This got me to wondering. How often do we press on too quickly, never once stopping to enjoy the scenery around us or even memories recently made?
Well, I decided to take my own advice for once, and what I witnessed was breathtaking. I knew it would be ridiculous to try to turn around and look behind me in my car, considering I was on the interstate. So I compromised. I took a quick peek into the rearview mirror. What I saw? The most beautiful sunset I’ve experienced within the borders of Tennessee. It was like the entire sky had been streaked with every rich shade of the rainbow from north to south and east to west; all of it just for me. Utterly breathtaking, this moment was truly a changing experience.
Witnessing that display of incredible beauty really changed my views on life. Is it all about the destination? Or is life merely a matter of chance and luck, stumbling our way through heartache and love, sadness and joy, falling and rising to our feet again? Either way, we’re probably going to reach the same outcome. But this is my challenge to anyone who by chance stumbles upon this passage: why not make it all worthwhile and enjoy this journey we like to call life?

-Leanna

My lost youth

When exactly do we go from being kids to adults?? I do not know for certain, but my guess would be when you turn a certain age or when you graduate from high school or college. It happens when you least expect. We go from playing with our friends to playing with people's feelings. Without us knowing our childhood slips away into oblivion.... and then we wake up one morning as someone who when we look in the mirror we do not know!

When I look in the mirror now a days I have no idea where the time has gone. I honestly do not feel like I should be turning 18 today. I feel like I should be back in preschool with my mom packing my lunch, taking me to class everyday, and kissing me goodbye. I have been think about the past lately reflecting on everything that has happened to me and honestly I wish I could go back and re-live the past 17 years of my life. I would do so many things differently. I would not worry so much about what other people think about me: I would hug my parents everyday three times a day so they would know how much they mean to me, and most importantly I would not have slacked off so much when it came to my school work. I know everyone is always saying not to wish away your life, because you only get one chance at it and thinking back now I wish I would have listened to them.

You only get one shot so why not live the life that you have always dreamed. People are always going to try and tear you down and make you feel like your worthless. This is just part of life, but honestly who cares what those people have to say. One of my favorite quotes of all time is by Eleanor Roosevelt and it says "no one can make you feel inferior without your consent." When I think back on all those bad days I had, because of some drama it all just seems pointless now. Why did I spend so much time worrying about something that in the end turned out fine? I now see as I look back how pointless it was for me to worry about all the things in life that I could not change.

Now that I am a senior, I want senior year to be about something more than just who's dating who and who won homecoming king and queen. I want it to be about leaving my mark or legacy at MJCA. Honestly, how many people in 10 years are going to remember if you were on homecoming court or if you were the most beautiful in the entire school? I doubt anyone honestly will! So why is it that people strive to be these things then?

Our culture has told us that beauty should be the most important thing we worry about. This is why people go out and get plastic surgery to fix what they think is broken, but in reality nothing is actually broken. God made us the way that he wanted us to look and he made us in his image. So basically when we go out and get plastic surgery we are dismissing God and the way he made us. In 1 Samuel 16:7, it says "....Man looks at the outside, but the Lord looks at the heart." All throughout high school, I have spent so much time worrying about how I look when in reality all I needed to do was have confidence in myself and see what others see in me everyday. For the rest of my senior year I vow to worry about things that mean something instead of worrying about the stupid drama of everyday life!

-Jordan-

"Chill Bumps"

"On Looking Up By Chance At The Constellations"

by: Robert Frostie

Sometimes in life, we fall. And when I say we fall, it seems as if the very cliff upon which we stand erodes beneath, sending us into an emotional dive into peril. When on an express route to pain and sorrow, we often look for big changes to help us. In many different situations, our thought-processes turn into desperation mode – meaning, we look for complete 180 degree turn-arounds. Returning to the topic of the slow slip into sorrow, we pray and beg that we are dreaming, or someone is waiting to catch us, or even that we will land in marshmallow fluff at the bottom.

But often, that doesn’t end up switching the gravity. We fall, just as hard, just as fast. Sometimes even faster if one of our unrealistic thoughts before-mentioned fails us as well. So what do we do? What is there to do in a situation where we seem to be carrying the world on our back, all the while falling into deeper angst? And let me tell you, when falling off of a cliff, carrying things on your back surely does not help – ESPECIALLY if it is the whole world. But what do we do?

What I have come to realize is that we look for change in too much expectation. We don’t need a soldier to jump out of a plane, swoop in, attach a parachute to us, and fly off wishing us a good leisurely fall! What we need to do is look for the little things around us. Look for the roots, limbs, rocks, branches – anything that we can grab onto to slow down the fall. Trust me, if you can grab on and slow down the fall for just a second, another situation is going to become available. Suddenly, after falling so swiftly, it all turns around.

Not because of SpiderMan, but because you took the time to grab onto something small and hold on for dear life. Real life examples can be friends, teachers, prayer, sports, anything. Just hold on for dear life, and soon enough, other changes will come. What I find most magnificent about this theory is that when applied to real life, not only do we grab onto hope to slow our fall, not only do we find more reasons to completely stop the fall, but even MORE “branches” will become available for us to actually climb back up the very cliff we fell from. And how rewarding would it feel to conquer the mountain that sent you tumbling down?

Very.

-Noa

"No More" by Rahul

No more counting on Noa to compare answers on homework to make last minute changes. No more “pssssstttss’s” at Sarah Beth to get her attention so I can copy the last note that went over my head. No more greeting Weston with a handshake and listening to how funny he says my name. No more seeing Faith with that enormous white smile to start my day off on a good note. No more seeing Dylan go “beast mode” and go crazy down the hallways, screaming in the faces of innocent little middle-schoolers just to see them cringe. No more hearing Beau’s timely and clever jokes when I am starting to have a rough day. No more of Riley’s hugs that absolutely make my day. No more random conversations with Phil, reminiscing on the fourth grade, and how we were best friends. No more comments to catch me off guard from Jill. No more sheepish smiles from Woo when I tell him that he needs to holler at a chick. No more Ivanna, and her thirst for knowledge. No more getting to know Lindsey and how awesome she is behind that quiet front. No more Todd, and his hair illuminating my day. No more Danielle, with her great writing that inspires us all when read aloud by Mrs. C. No more Jojo and her remarks to just about everything. No more reciting rap songs to capture on video with Leanna. No more of those gross, but hilarious belches from Holly. No more throwing up the X, and having Aalia being the only one to follow. No more talking to Steven about his El Camino and his new ice cream paint job. No more trying to give Kelsey “dap,” and her just giving me a high five. No more listening to Hannah comment on the fact that Noa and me sing all the time.

All of these “no mores” honestly make me sad. It hurts to know I may never see where the people I have grown so accustomed to may go in their life endeavors. You guys provide me the optimism to say that it will be okay, and we will all still keep in touch. I just want this Senior Class of 2010 to know that every single one of you will be missed, but for now, I will savor each and every moment I have with you. You will all be irreplaceable to me, and I hope that you can say the same about me.

senior thoughts (by SarahBeth)

What is life but a blur, or a moment that passes away and is gone? Many people end up wishing their whole lives away, and only as their life is about to end do they realize that they should have made the most of each day as it came along instead of anticipating events yet to come or pondering over things that have already been done. We can only hope that we will learn this lesson before it is too late.

This year we are seniors, and it seems as if we have been waiting for this year our entire lives! Yet many of us are already counting down the days until graduation, and it seems as if it could not come soon enough. However, we must take the time to sit back and enjoy our senior year and truly savor these last moments of high school, because in the blink of an eye it will all be over and we will be on our way to various colleges, and even if we keep in touch, we will never all be together again as the Class of 2010.

This is the only shot we have at life; the last try we get at high school; our only chance to make a difference. I know this speech is typically made at graduation, but I think it is better heard now so it can be put into practice. So, as a fellow senior, here are my words of wisdom to you: Live life to the fullest, cherish every moment, and don’t be afraid to try something new. Most importantly of all, don’t come to recognize too late that you have wished away some of the best moments of your life.

A Thought

Why are we here? Who are we really? What is the true purpose of life? And what difference do we make? These are all questions that must be answered at some point in our lives. And although all of the inquiries are immensely philosophical, and the answers are amazingly detailed, and potentially life changing; in all honesty what difference do we truly make? Is the world really affected by every individual that graces its surface?
As hours, minutes, seconds, and mere moments pass life as we know it continues. And although a person may be doing “nothing” their life march on and their time on this earth becomes gradually shorter. Although this is a dark and depressing thought, it is true. This is why everyone must make the most out of their time on this earth. My opinion is that no matter how big or small the event or decision we make happens to be every “difference” affects the world to a certain extent.
As people, we seem to think that our time on this planet is somehow all the world is about. By this I mean, most individuals are under the misconception that everything that happens on this great planet revolves around our lives, and once we are gone the world somehow ceases to exist; like we are somehow in direct correlation to the cosmic lifespan of the planet. The years of our life are as moments to the world. And although some of these lives may consist of numerous great times, earth has seen and is yet to see ones just as great.
In conclusion, the faces of youth have gradually morphed into something that is hardly recognizable as once being young. And our lives are a collection of years that we began to borrow on the day of our birth and cease borrowing as we take the final breath of life. As this breath is released into a world with many last breaths and just as many firsts all we can really hope for is to have made even a small difference.

- Kelsey

Welcome to Dual Credit Blogging!

My name is Mrs. C, and I am a Dual Enrollment instructor. I have the responsibility of teaching high school juniors and seniors each year and the great privilege of reading their writing. That is what you will see in the posts to come . . . great writing. Their thoughts, hopes and dreams all given shape by the written word. I also will include pictures of these students in action, and I hope you are as inspired as I am when you get a chance to see what is going on in their hearts and minds. Read on, enjoy and feel free to comment!!