Be You, Be New

Be You, Be New People, places, and things change as we change | BY GRACE WARD

Many of you are about to start a new part of your life, somewhere that is not Dexter, with people from all over. You have the choice to be who you may have always wanted, to become someone different than who you have been, and that is beautiful.

I had to start over, become someone knew. The person I was a year ago is unrecognizable compared to who I am today. I change my hair all the time, I got new clothes and changed my style. I got rid of the toxic people and found ones that help me be the new me. It was hard, but necessary.

Change happens everyday, sometimes good, sometimes bad. When I was five my life changed by my parents getting divorced. When I was 11 my life changed by my dad getting remarried. When I was 13 my life changed by my mom getting remarried. When I was 15 my life changed by my suicide attempt. And every single day since then, I have changed.

It’s not always good, it’s not always bad, it’s just something that happens, and it’s something we have to deal with and face cause everyone and everything at some point is going to be different from what you originally knew.

Humans become so devoted to things and people and the town they grew up in, but seniors, in less than a month you will be done at Dexter High forever, and many of you will be gone by the time September comes. You have the unique opportunity to become someone knew, to change something you may have always wanted to change. Seniors, you have the ability to reinvent yourself; take advantage of that. And other high schoolers, our time will come, we will be able to leave here whenever we want, or stay here for as long as we choose. Someday, we will all be granted with the opportunity to start over, and it’s up to you with what you want to do with it.

PEOPLE

People change more than Michigan weather.

-Someone may be your best friend at some point, and then you could not even recognize them the next.

-You could not like someone, and then they could become so much to you.

-You could think of someone as a sibling you’re so close, and then next thing you know they are more like a distant cousin.

-Someone might say they will be in your life forever, and then a month later they are gone.

People are not steady, we are prone to change, and you just have to learn to roll with it.

PLACES

Everyone’s definition of a home is different

-College is only a summer away for some, and for others it’s 20 years behind them.

-Your home when you’re 17 will not be your home when your 70.

-You are going to go to so many places in your life, and each one will change your understanding of home and life.

THINGS

Things are not forever, so why do we become so attached to them?

-That stuffed animal you loved as a kid, the one you wouldn’t go anywhere without, do you think about the nights you fell asleep holding it? Do you remember its name? Do you think about it regularly? Do you know where it is right now? Many had a toy as a child, but just like other things, you eventually outgrow it. So, why do we become so attached to things we are ultimately going to forget about?

Appreciate