The first day of the rest of my life
There are times in the early stages of every man’s life when he faces an unparalleled moment, unlike any he has seen before. It is at times like these that a young man must decide who he is and who he wants to become. This weekend was full of not one, but several such moments. I like to humor myself by thinking that I came out of this weekend with a better understanding of who I am, who I want to become. And if it’s no trouble, I would like to share my thoughts with all of you.
Friday was my last full day of High School. To celebrate this momentous occasion, I put on my 80’s outfit and walked the halls of MTHS for the last time looking like Marty McFly from Back to the Future. For some, this day would mark the end of their lives. Not their actual lives per say, but rather the end of the “best times of their lives”. Walking through the halls it was obvious that the football players and others like them had grown aware of the mortality of their fun. They were the ones with the solemn expressions on their faces, similar to a terminally ill person who was just told he has one day to live. But amidst the dying hordes walked a different group of people; the people who saw the final day of High School not as the end, but rather the first day of the rest of their lives. I am proud to say that I was a part of this crowd, brandishing my Goodwill-purchased sleeveless jacket, high-tops, and acid-washed jeans as an indication of my delight that it was finally over. Sure, there were some sad moments during the course of my day, like the realization that I would never see certain people again (although this was a good thing for some) and when I cleaned out my locker. Going through my locker was like going back in time, since I have not attempted to organize it since freshman year. I pealed off the tiny movie posters that I put up all those years ago and said goodbye to longtime locker buddy Mark Ezzel. As a farewell present, Ezzel gave me his large tin of Altoids; something I have consistently stole from for the last four years. As I left the parking lot that afternoon, I rolled down my windows and blasted “School’s Out For Summer” by Alice Cooper. There were many smiles and annoyed grunts alike. I drove home listening to Queen’s “Under Pressure” and sweating from the layers of 80’s clothing I was wearing. Perhaps it was the fact that it was all finally over, or perhaps it was taking off the size 27 jeans, but when I got home I breathed a long sigh of relief. During the latter part of this year I learned to hate school, not for all the pointless bullshit that goes on every day, nor the asshole teachers that work there (i.e. Mrs. Ronane), but rather because it had completely robbed me of all enthusiasm and determination. But I think now that it’s over I can be happy and all of those things will come back.
That night and the following weekend were full of first-times. It was the first time I ever bought cigars for minors, the first time I and several other people were accused of stealing from a Super Wal-Mart, the first time my dad asked me to see if a waitress was wearing a wedding band, and the first time I realized that I don’t get anything accomplished when I worry about things. I also saw Shrek 2 and found that it was amazingly better than the first one. All in all it was an interesting weekend.
Friday was my last full day of High School. To celebrate this momentous occasion, I put on my 80’s outfit and walked the halls of MTHS for the last time looking like Marty McFly from Back to the Future. For some, this day would mark the end of their lives. Not their actual lives per say, but rather the end of the “best times of their lives”. Walking through the halls it was obvious that the football players and others like them had grown aware of the mortality of their fun. They were the ones with the solemn expressions on their faces, similar to a terminally ill person who was just told he has one day to live. But amidst the dying hordes walked a different group of people; the people who saw the final day of High School not as the end, but rather the first day of the rest of their lives. I am proud to say that I was a part of this crowd, brandishing my Goodwill-purchased sleeveless jacket, high-tops, and acid-washed jeans as an indication of my delight that it was finally over. Sure, there were some sad moments during the course of my day, like the realization that I would never see certain people again (although this was a good thing for some) and when I cleaned out my locker. Going through my locker was like going back in time, since I have not attempted to organize it since freshman year. I pealed off the tiny movie posters that I put up all those years ago and said goodbye to longtime locker buddy Mark Ezzel. As a farewell present, Ezzel gave me his large tin of Altoids; something I have consistently stole from for the last four years. As I left the parking lot that afternoon, I rolled down my windows and blasted “School’s Out For Summer” by Alice Cooper. There were many smiles and annoyed grunts alike. I drove home listening to Queen’s “Under Pressure” and sweating from the layers of 80’s clothing I was wearing. Perhaps it was the fact that it was all finally over, or perhaps it was taking off the size 27 jeans, but when I got home I breathed a long sigh of relief. During the latter part of this year I learned to hate school, not for all the pointless bullshit that goes on every day, nor the asshole teachers that work there (i.e. Mrs. Ronane), but rather because it had completely robbed me of all enthusiasm and determination. But I think now that it’s over I can be happy and all of those things will come back.
That night and the following weekend were full of first-times. It was the first time I ever bought cigars for minors, the first time I and several other people were accused of stealing from a Super Wal-Mart, the first time my dad asked me to see if a waitress was wearing a wedding band, and the first time I realized that I don’t get anything accomplished when I worry about things. I also saw Shrek 2 and found that it was amazingly better than the first one. All in all it was an interesting weekend.