The past, present and future flash together

Walking into Lawrence High School on Sept. 3, felt a lot less like a first day and a lot more like taking the first step toward the stage at my graduation ceremony. It was as if an internal timer had started as soon as I opened the front doors, ticking down the minutes until my last day at Lawrence High. Several things had reminded me that high school was rapidly coming to a close, but it had not quite sunken in until then. The first reminder was the graduation ceremony for the class of 2015. I had earned a coveted spot on the daisy chain, which granted me a ride and front-row seats to the ceremony. I quietly watched as my senior friends, decked out in their blue robes and colorful tassels, accepted the awards and diplomas that summarized their entire academic careers.
When they threw their caps into the air, it hit me that once they came back down, I would officially become a part of the new graduating class. Next year, I would be the one with tassels around my neck, I would be the one victoriously tossing my cap, I would be the one moving onto bigger and better things.
However, even then, graduation felt relatively distant. I still had another year of school to survive. Just the end of summer break felt far away, but of course, it ended in the blink of an eye. Before I knew it, I was buying school supplies and seeing off my friends who were starting their freshman year of college.
Just as these events had crept up on me, so had my second reminder: senior portraits. I was unable to make it to my own appointment for the portraits, but most of my friends made it to theirs. When I asked them how their sessions had gone, the word “surreal” came up again and again.
They joked about the numerous awkward poses and expressions they were asked to do, but they all admitted that the cap and gown picture had been a wakeup call. Once I saw the proofs of the picture in question, I could understand why. Seeing my friends, dressed in the graduation garb and smiling wide, I realized that this would be my final year with many of them.

The next time I would see some of my classmates in a cap and gown would be the last. As I went through my final first day, these events came back to mind and lead me to a conclusion: high school ends. I know this doesn’t sound like a grand discovery, but it certainly feels like it. Senior year, which had once felt so distant, was now a reality.
One day, one day soon, Lawrence High School will be a part of my past. It would be dishonest to say that I’m not afraid of the future, but more than anything, I’m excited to see what this year will bring.