I find it hard to believe that I began high school on a computer and completed the entirety of freshman year only halfway in person and completely socially distanced. Looking back on it now, I only think “How did I survive that?” and was probably thinking similarly at the time, but as I see it now, if I made it through that, I think I can make it through anything.
I definitely will say I had my fair share of awkward phases growing up, like when I refused to wear anything but skirts, or when I started wearing fake glasses with no lenses, or when I bought a multipack of tight choker necklaces from Claire’s and wore them religiously for months. One of my biggest regrets from high school is probably most of my past clothing choices.
As a high schooler, I have done a little bit of a lot of things, as well starting with my time spent in marching band for my freshman and sophomore years, where I spent a lot of time dilly-dallying but still earned librarian status. I also had a brief stint in theater, both as a sophomore and a junior. The biggest characters I ever played were a guy and a mouse. I was also heavily involved in Student Council for a few years and even helped my best friend start up the Yarn Club here at Plano Senior. Now here I am as a staff writer for the school newspaper, something I never expected to be a part of but surprisingly love.
As I reflect on it all, I’m grateful for putting myself out there and trying new things. But if I had to give advice on one thing, I wouldn’t talk about joining random clubs or making smart fashion choices. The most important thing I wish I could have told myself in my past years of high school is that it’s okay to not have friends, or at least feel like you don’t. I feel as though I have spent so much time being jealous of other people or friend groups for always being so close, or looking like they were having the most fun together all the time. Even though popular people don’t really exist the way they do in the movies, there’s definitely a version of them at every school and I remember wanting to be just like them, to have the clothes they wore, the cute hair, or the multitudes of friends that all looked so great. As we all are getting older and finishing school, I look at these people again, all in a new light, and I realize that they’re really not as great or different as they seemed. A great majority of the people that were once so popular and were friends with everyone, are the people now with no friends, or at least not any real ones. I had to learn the hard way that it truly is better to have a few amazing friends over fifty okay ones. As Taylor Swift says in her song Cardigan, “A friend to all is a friend to none.” Essentially, chances are that the people you spend so much energy being jealous of are probably going to be the ones you pity later on.
I have so many people to thank for helping me through school and getting me where I am now. To my mom, thank you for loving me even when I was mean to you for no reason, and for being nothing but supportive of me. I’m sorry it took me so long to realize that you were right about everything all along. You have done more for me than I’ll ever be able to understand, and I am so so lucky to have you as my mom and my best friend. To my dad, you are the kindest person I have ever met in my life, and our world does not deserve someone with a heart as big as yours. You make me smile every day and love me unconditionally, but I have been so especially lucky to watch the way you love my mom and teach me what a healthy relationship is. To my brother Jake, I thought I was going to die when you left for college but really, you have taught me so much about growth and change and I can’t wait to see you continue to thrive in your adulthood. You being my brother was the biggest blessing.
Most importantly, I want to thank all my friends, but specifically my best friend, Anna Sofia. You may be the funniest person I have ever met, and I have learned the hard way to never doubt you because you have never been wrong about anything or anyone. No one else will memorize my Starbucks and Chick-fil-A orders the way you have, and there are few people I can talk to the way I talk to you. The best thing high school ever gave me was you. To the best editor-in-chief ever, but also the best best friend in the world, thank you!
