In one year James Patterson can put his name on 50 novels. In one year, a country can start a war. In a year, a couple might fall in and out of love 10 times before falling back in again. It might take a year for the millionaires on Fourth Street to finally sell their old shack. But hopefully it doesn't take Mother Mother that long to record and release its next masterpiece. Bob Dylan could change his sound completely from an old folk tune to a wailing rock song in a year. I wish he could do it again. But even if he can't, a lot can happen in one year.
They go by fast. Years. Everyone says it, but it's true. And even though more things sometimes happen in one year than we can keep track of, time doesn't stop for anyone. That being said, I can hardly believe we're already saying goodbye to one more school year.
Similar to the rest of the world, a lot has happened in the lives of the students of Howe Sound Secondary. In one year, our teachers started a passive-aggressive job action that escalated to a three-day walkout before being legislated back to passive aggression.
In one year I wrote three pieces on the topic. Despite these circumstances, though, we students were still only given one year to complete and pass the eight classes that would hopefully advance us to the next stage of our lives. Most of us came out alive, if not only slightly damaged. In one year, rugby was re-introduced to the school, the jazz band fearlessly tackled The Chicken and the library went digital. It's a lot, right?
As for me personally, I've been pushed and pulled in so many directions in one year, I don't know which way is up anymore. Living a year upside down, though, has taught me not to care. In one year I've discovered a self-confidence that needs its batteries changed once a month, a lost aptitude for mathematics, and 50 different ways to make cupcakes more interesting. I would say I'm well accomplished after one year.
And now that it's all coming to a close, it's about time we take a minute to look back, reflect, and say, "Wow. When did that happen?"
The graduated portion of our population is now moving on to bigger and brighter things - hopefully. My classmates are already nostalgically waving goodbye to the hardly carefree days of Grade 11 and contemplating getting serious. And my younger sister has now surpassed my height by a whopping one inch. All in all, it's been a pretty good run, but if you'll allow me the luxury:
Wow. When did that happen?
