Column: Not ready to say goodbye to FHS

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It’s true what they say: You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone. If had approached me at any time during these last four years of high school, I would’ve told you there’s nothing holding me back, and I can’t wait to move on to college. Maybe even last week I would have said the same thing. But recently, something clicked. Just because the end is nearing for my high school experience, I’m starting to appreciate the long, boring days I spend there.

It’s like our minds are trained to only want things when we don’t have them. How sick and twisted is that? There will always be that one thing you can’t have, whether it’s a material object or a relationship, so why are we forced to be constantly missing something? How can we ever be happy if the opposite lifestyle always seems better?

We’ve all done it. You see someone that has something that you want, and you automatically think they’re happier, or better off than you. What we don’t realize is we probably have something that they want, too. Why do we put ourselves through so much misery, always wanting something more, or something different? How come for the past four years I’ve wanted to live the life of a college student but all of a sudden I’m starting to feel attached to my high school? And why do I keep asking questions no one is going to answer?

My grandma was talking to me about her upcoming high school class reunion and how every year she goes, there’s an even longer “deceased list.” She said it really puts your perspective in a new place and you remember not to take anything for granted. Although this is kind of morbid to think about, it’s true. The people we’ve seen every day for years will always hold a place in our memories, whether we want them to or not.

I wonder if I’ll ever want to come back to the lifestyle I have now. I wonder if the relationships I’ve formed will hold strong, or if they’ll fall apart. I wonder how many groups of friends will stay groups of friends. Who will accomplish their dreams and who will come up empty handed? I wonder who will take the few opportunities that are thrown at them and who will turn the other cheek.

It’s amazing how many bonds can be formed without even trying. I know Farmington High School’s class of 2010 has a role in America’s future, and I can proudly say I’m a member of that group. Let’s appreciate these last couple of months that mark the end of our high school careers.

Ayla Benike is a senior at Farmington High School. Her column appears every other week.

Tags: high schools, opinion, commentaries, farmington, education