Even as young as I am, I believe that I have gone through and experienced many things in life that are very worthwhile. There have been numerous places that I have been to and I have met different kinds of people along the way. However, there are only a few situations and places out of all those I have experienced that I think are unforgettable and are worth treasuring for the rest of my days.
A very special part of my life is the time I was in high school. I truly believe that this place and time was a turning point in my life because this is where I learned how to live the life I am given with pride and confidence in who I am. I found out my identity and learned how to further develop myself and how to live my life properly. Let me tell you my story.
It was during this time that I met a lot of new friends. However, only three particular people taught me the true meaning of friendship. Up to this day, these three friends are some of my most trusted people. These people are those who do not need to be told for them to understand what I am going through. I was a little worried when high school began. I did not know how the system works and there were so many new people around me. I was scared because I did not know how I should act in order to get the approval of my superiors and my peers. But these three friends of mine, from day one, accepted me for who I am. They did not care if I put up a front and act cool or smart. The main experience I had with these friends is when I failed one of my exams. It was a very difficult experience for me because I had high expectations and my parents did not approve of failing grades. Instead of putting me down, my three friends encouraged and helped me get through. We studied together and spent time focusing on school work. We shared notes, helped each other with homeworks, and even went to the library together. By the end of that same semester, I passed my subject. It was one of the first of many times they helped me out both on and off the school.
I learned that loyalty is not sticking to the cool person or the best person around you. Loyalty is staying where you are, right beside the people you consider friends. I learned that friendship is not about hanging out with the people whom you can benefit from the most, but being with people who will help you no matter what. Lastly, I learned that time is the greatest gift you can offer to someone. I remembered my friends spending heaps of hours with me, talking with me, comforting me, and helping me out. These are the times that cannot be taken back and therefore, the greatest gifts I have received. Time is precious and when this is spent with those people whom you care about, it would seem that you are having the best time of your life.
Aside from learning what it means to depend on people, I learned how to act and live on my own. This might be contradicting but let me explain myself. Before high school, I was a kid who looked to my parents or other people to do things for me when the going gets tough. I did not know how to make choices for myself. I knew my parents were always there for me and so I never made any effort to become independent. I did not saw the importance of having to be independent when there are people who can do things for you in the first place. However, in high school, everything changed. I learned how to deal with problems on my own without anyone’s help. I learned how to handle pressure when tons of homework were piling up. I learned how to balance my time when I had to juggle my studies and my friends. I learned, most importantly, that you have to rely on yourself because you are the only person you can ever count on. My friends helped me out a lot but it was still I who had to make the decisions to succeed. No one can make the choices for me. It was me who decided to put in the hours to be better. It was me who did not give up. As a result, high school made me a better, more mature person.
It is also important to note here that in high school, it was not all work. It was one of the best times of my life because I was able to experience new things. I went to so many parties and met numerous other people of different backgrounds. It was the first time I realized how much diversity there is to people. Some people were easy to get along with. Others were a bit harder. It was how you reacted differently to each person that measures the outcome of your interactions. They can either hate you or like you. It was hard but also exciting. With every person I met, I had to adjust in order to understand them. What I found out was that in adjusting and understanding other people, I was not changing myself but actually finding out who I am. I learned what I liked and did not like in people. I learned what to do when I encountered people I do not see eye to eye with in ways which do not hurt or offend anyone. Most importantly, I learned that everyone can be understood if given a chance. Everybody is unique but we also have something in common. Therefore, judgment and preconceived biases should be discarded. In the end, I learned that I can be an understanding person who can adapt to different situations. These truly helped me become the person I am today and I am grateful for everything I went through because without these things, I would not be who I am at this time.
There are so many things that are worth remembering but I believe that high school was the best to relive because this is where I owe so much of who I am today. It is not only the place but also the values I was able to acquire and experience while I was going through that stage that makes high school an unforgettable place. I would not trade any of the my experiences to anyone.
