“Life Moves Pretty Fast”

They say “time flies when you’re having fun,” but lately I have learned that time always flies. In what seems like the span of a few short weeks, the start of my senior year of high school has suddenly transformed into February which will soon shift to my upcoming graduation. Last year when the Rockford Register Star published an interview in which I answered several questions about the ACT, I was asked if it “is liberating going into your senior year with a perfect ACT score.” I concluded my answer with a simple statement: “There is still work to be done.” I, however, failed to comprehend just how much work lay ahead. Between homework from a strenuous class schedule, college and scholarship applications, my part time job, and club meetings and events, I have had less time for other activities, as readers may notice from my lower number of articles over the past few months.

Now, I’m not complaining. I realize that a lot of work today can really pay off in the future. But just as senior year has opened my eyes to the value of hard work and time management, it has also shown me the importance of stepping back, every once in a while, and appreciating the moment. There’s something to be said for keeping your eyes focused on the road ahead, but sometimes it’s worthwhile to look in the rearview mirror to see just how far you’ve come. Whether you are in high school, college, or in the middle of your career, take some time to recognize both the large and small things in life. As one fictional high school senior put it with words that still hold true today, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”