How I managed to get through dozens of Merionite layouts, APUSH readings, and twenty-page readings is pretty simple: copious amounts of caffeine and hours of listening to Taylor Swift. So I thought I’d use this opportunity to share some of Swift’s most important pieces of advice that have been a lifeline throughout my time at LM.
One of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned from my time at LM is the power of kindness, found within our mantra “Character Counts.” As Swift puts it, “Never be so clever you forget to be kind.” While it’s no doubt LM sometimes perpetuates a competitive environment, it’s always key to remember that showing true kindness and supporting your classmates and teachers triumphs over trying to push others aside for your personal gain.
Swift also voices the cluelessness and self-discovery that is ingrained in everyone’s high school experience: “you just might find who you’re supposed to be. I didn’t know who I was supposed to be, at fifteen.” Coming into high school, myself and many others felt overwhelmed by the myriad of changes. Once we finally started to find our footing, we were catapulted into online school by a pandemic that shook the perspectives we had just started developing. We still don’t know exactly who we’re supposed to be, but over the past four years, we have grown comfortable within the halls of LM. Now, we need to start over somewhere brand new.
Some of my classmates seem like they’ve got their entire lives planned out, while I still struggle deciding what to eat for lunch. I ask myself, “How can a person know everything at 18?”, yet always forget the other half of the lyric “but nothing at 22?” I have to remind myself that even those who seem to know exactly what they want still have a lot to learn about themselves and it’s alright to settle with the unknown.
It may be easier to “wish I’d never grown up,” but the reality is that college commitment day, prom, and graduation all mark the end of an era— an exciting yet daunting notion. A time where we have to “make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it.” A time to remember that “You’ve got no reason to be afraid.” Holding on to the friendships I’ve built throughout twelve years in LMSD and the person I’ve grown into at LM makes the idea of a new beginning a little less intimidating.
Now that we’re “out of the woods,” all I can say is bring on the “next chapter.”
