2013 is almost at my back, and with that, the memories of a year spent either torturing myself, having others torture me, or having a ball. It is one am on December 29, and now is as appropriate a time as ever to write this. I have kept in a mason jar scraps of paper with things that happened this year that were positive. I will pick four at random, because there are hundreds in there, in exchange, since the tail end or freshman year and the beginning of sophomore have gone less than swimmingly, one negative will be included, accentuate the positive, right? Let's begin.
Slip of paper #1: Started internship with SATV: Do not let this opporunity go to waste. Enbrace every moment you have with a camera in your hand, editing the mornings news, fumbling with the tricky dvd player. Not everyone gets to do what they love on a Wednesday afternoon. Keep at this, you love it.
Slip of paper #2: Went camping with Cristina, Chase, David, Ian, Connor, and my mother: When you are in nature, be one with it. Use the car only to bring you to an unknown swimming spot. Fish with ham and a homemade fishing rod, and cook your catch over a fire. Take the time to wander at two in the morning and admire the stars. You might hear an owl. Do not record it's noise, keep it for your own ears. Contemplate where the universe ends in the dark. Get mosquito bites. It is summer and you will recover. Fireflies are magical, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
Slip of paper #3: Passed algebra: Bridget, do the same for this year. Do not aim simply to pass geometry. Focus on what confuses you. Ask for help, it will not lessen your intelligence. It will feel better to get a 80 on a test you studied and worked hard for than a test that you went blindly into and guessed, yet came out with a 75. Learn your strengths and weaknesses. Do not take 5 AP classes next year. There are limits to yourself, even if your friends are taking them. Know your own, and you will go farther.
The Only Negative (that I feel comfortable writing about): Yes, that is a good book: I know that you like reading, because I am you. Put that book your nose is buried in down until your schoolwork for the day is completed. Yes, your geometry homework is easy (you hope) and you can (hopefully) do it during lunch. You have a project due tomorrow, and a French test. Study for it. You know Shakespeare, you can do well, but put down Alice In Wonderland, it won't do itself. Your geometry is harder than face value. You need to eat at lunch, or else you will be tired in n geometry, and get even less accomplished. The book will not punish you for not reading it, your homework will.
Slip of paper #4: Painted yourself like an Amazonian queen: It is ok to stay up until three am making grilled cheese covered in paint, as long as you are not disturbing anyone, and it is not a nightly ritual. Go outside and take pictures with a pro grade camera half naked. It's three in the morning. No one cares. Look back at those photos fondly. When you remove the paint, make sure to wash out the bathtub, unless you are aiming to make it a rendition of van goghs "starry night."
Let 2014 be worth it. Embrace the friendships that will come, and let go the ones who left you this year. You will learn to drive, and will finally be an upperclassman. Good luck, kiddo. You'll do great.
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