today was a slightly "big" day in that i decided it was time to finally remove my yellow ribbon that i've been wearing almost non-stop since my sophomore year of high school. i don't have a good reason for why i've kept it on, just that i put it on my wrist around winterball that year...so since february 2003? i only took it off for championship swim meets when i needed to reduce drag by any means possible. needless to say, it's pretty ratty...i haven't really noticed it in the past year or so, but i took a look today and found it to be fraying and pilling and barely recognizable as a ribbon. so "snip" went the scissors and it was in the trash...
which made me start reminiscing about high school and my past. it's something i've thought of a little lately, since it seems like all of my classmates are parents already, which is weird. i know we're all in our mid-20's right now & at that age when it's normal to start families, but ketchikan is notorious for young mothers--if you survive high school it's commendable but surviving the next four years (aka the collegiate years), it's almost a miracle. so just for kicks, i went through my senior yearbook and out of 112 of us that graduated in may 2005, 17 have kids and/or are pregnant right now. needless to say, most of us that went to college or are still pursuing an education are not in that statistic. (i'm not saying we're better or worse, but the odds are: if you stay in ketchikan, you'll have kids. and you'll be lucky if you're married when you do. and you'll be a superstar if you remained married.)
flipping through the pages reminded me of the fun times in choir, the last year of swimming, the exchange students that year, etc. what really touched me (i chose to ignore my classmates' comments in the blank spaces, as most of them are ridiculous or they aren't friends any more) was my teachers' comments. of the few that signed my yearbook, they noted my commitment and hard work and tenacity for learning, despite my extreme quietness. one of my favorite teachers to this day told me to go out and set the world on fire--which is exactly what i'm trying to do every day at work with the students i help. i wish there was a magic switch that made learning exciting for everyone, but there isn't...so all i can do is show how much i love it and hope that they realize they are being offered a gift at no cost to themselves. hopefully one day it'll spur atleast a few of them on to higher education and training, so they stop the cycle of negligent families and young parents.
so thanks, mrs. b...what i do is because of you and others like you. i hope i can turn your words into a reality and make you proud!
No comments:
Post a Comment