By junior Christian Jimenez
In a year’s time I picture myself sitting on a rooftop. The tough surface of the panels scraping the underside of my legs. I would preferably be three inches taller with an attempt of a mustache growing and driving a car that isn’t owned by a family member. Or maybe even a motorcycle for the hell of it. Most of all, I want complete and utter satisfaction with my life, regardless of if I don’t get into my dream college, or face any other mundane setbacks like that. You see, what I’ve come to realize is that you can never control what life brings, but you can control how you let life affect you. This isn’t exactly a lesson that is easily learned.
This past year has been in a world of its own and I believe we can all agree on that. But what I didn’t expect was how much I was letting it paralyze me. Days turning into weeks and months laying in bed with no meaning; no recognition. School felt pointless, connections with those close to me bothersome, and my mental health was deteriorating. My motivation for my life was fading away which only made me more fearful for the future. For so long I hated myself for letting myself shut down.
Yet if I was given the decision to go back and change the past; I would decline. I would decline for if it was not for my past experiences, there would be no growth in my character. For example, during covid I became open to the idea of reading. And yes, although reading is stereotypically hated upon by my generation, I have never been more grateful for allowing myself to open up to a new activity. There is a book called, The Alchemist, written by Paulo Coehlo which in summary discusses the idea that all individuals should live in the singular pursuit of their individual dreams. Although this book has many hidden messages, one quote that has stuck with me was, “And when you can’t go back, you have to worry only about the best way of moving forward.” Moving Forward; a difficult task for most, but a simple one for those who are open to forgiveness. In my seventeen years of life I can’t recall a time when I have been truly happy as an individual. However, recently I have made efforts to change that. I’ve stopped dressing myself in a societal uniform, and rather simply choose what I want to wear each day. I find myself speaking my full mind and not sugar coating my words, and simply being myself. I have this past year to thank for that. This past year has shown me that once we hit our lowest point, we become open to the greatest change.
