By Joshua Corcuera
No matter how far you travel, you can never get away from yourself, said by the renowned Japanese writer Haruki Murakami, in one of his short stories. Upon reading this quote, my high school memories came to my mind. This is because, despite attending university at present, my true self is still present with me. Many, if not most of us, know more about ourselves or truly know who we are during high school — a reason if why such period is mesmerizing and unforgettable. And as soon as we knew who we truly are, we can no longer remove our true identity from our minds and hearts.
Even grown-ups, professionals, and the elderly would remember a thing or two about their high school life given its capacity to impact lives. For instance, some married couples met in high school, or some group of well-connected professionals knew one another during the same period of their lives. Clearly, high school life is an important passage for a person to transition from childhood towards adulthood, explaining both its significance and uniqueness to our lives.
Too young to be stressed, old enough to remember
High school is that time of our lives where we aren’t extremely stressed with the harsh realities of life. There is no stressful work, no major duties or responsibilities, and the like. At the same time, high school is the point wherein we are matured enough to remember essential experiences or mere encounters in life. This is contrary to kindergarten or grade school where we tend to remember only a few experiences — usually significant events.
In other words, the circumstances surrounding a high school student are unique to the extent that it paves the way for life-changing moments that can define a person. This clearly makes high school life different from other times of our lives. Also, high school is one part of our lives that a lot of people truly miss. Some children might be intimidated entering high school as there seems to be no room for playing anymore, but for some adults, it is a period they hope to go back to as they try to escape the stressful life they have as grown-ups. As we can see, reunions are common when a batch celebrates the anniversary of their high school graduation.
First-time experiences, carefree, curious, and adventurous
During my stay in high school, I experienced a lot of things for the first time like hanging out with classmates and circle of friends, going places until the sky turns dark, and so on. This is a time where people, in general, are curious about the world as well as the people around them. As they search for answers, they tend to be carefree and adventurous as they do whatever they want.
For instance, a lot of students in high school go to far places until whatever time they want without asking for permission from their parents (unless they’re strict). To be candid, there are also times where some would go against the established rules — cutting classes, drinking alcohol, engaging in vices, and the like. Whether these experiences are positive or negative, euphoric or heartbreaking, conforming with rules or rebellious in nature, high school days provide first-time experiences that can offer essential lifelong lessons — lessons that prepare us for the real world.
Growing up is not the problem, forgetting is
The Little Prince, the admired novella published in 1943 by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, was adopted into a film just recently. In the movie, there is one statement that the old man told the child, which real-life children and adolescents must know, to wit: growing up is not the problem, forgetting is.
With this in mind, it is important for those in high school to cherish the euphoric experiences offered by such a period to their lives; the same goes for those who are just about to enter high school. Make the most out of high school for it can significantly change your life, and it can be an opportunity for a better and brighter future. Otherwise, you are likely to regret the things you haven’t done in the future when you become a grown-up.
Moreover, the transition from childhood to adulthood — which takes place at the same period — is imminent, but one must not tend to forget the valuable lessons we learned from our childhood and adolescent years. Hindi makararating sa paroroonan, ang siyang ‘di marunong lumingon sa pinanggalingan.
