new beginnings. new adventures

2008.

This must be it, welcome to the new year.

Every year there seems to be a string of new things that we'll conquer, or perhaps shove away into a corner and hope to forget about. This year, though, it's harder to just push away the facts we don't want to accept. High school is coming to an end, and it's time to start a new chapter in our lives. The comfort of Faith Lutheran will be gone, no longer will we walk through the hallways and recognize every single person we pass. The closest of friendships will slowly fade as we each go our separate ways. From Hawaii to California, to Iowa and Nebraska, the students of Faith will spread out across the U.S., maybe even to other countries and start over. That's what life's all about isn't it, starting over and preparing yourself for change?

College application deadlines are coming and going, scholarships are being given out, and roommates are being decided. But does it really matter? What difference does it make where you go, an education at Harvard or Yale means nothing if you didn't enjoy the time you spent there, if you weren't with good company. We learn how to talk and walk, and we go to school. We go to school some more, and then work hard to get into college. More school, then we try to make as much money as possible, and we die. Game over. Congratulations, maybe you've earned the high score, but nobody really cares. Your name will soon be replaced by someone else and as you're laying in the dirt of a rainy cemetery, it just might hit you that there's more to life than bragging rights about where you're going to school and how much money you made.

Resolutions.

1. Be content. It doesn't matter if I'm in first place or not, as long as I'm happy. Enjoying the moment is more important than making sure everyone else notices me. Nothing is more beautiful than happiness.

2. Be original. Life is a one-time thing, I'm not going to get another chance. Why would I want to be anyone but myself? It's not worth it. I respect originality over any other characteristic, because it's better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation. We are all primary numbers divisible only by ourselves.

3. Love cautiously. The heart is a precious, fragile object. I have absolutely no desire to give this up to anyone, as it's one of the few things that I can really control at this point.