| | Published May 9th, 2012
| Consider This: It's all in the Past
| | By Steven Zhou | | |
As we inch closer to the beginning of summer, whether you're a seventh-grader or a senior in high school, we look back and reminisce about another school year come and gone. For some, the memories of the past are filled with joyful experiences, while for others, there's the taint of regret. Our experiences are history and, good or bad, they shape the people that we are today. Sydney Liu, a junior at Campolindo, recognizes the influence of her past on her present: "I find that during the moment, I can feel proud, confused, hurt, or regretful, but now, years later, I look back without regrets. My past created my personality."
Whether experiences have been positive or negative, the key is to learn from everything and move on. The former CEO of Yahoo, Carol Bartz held a mantra of "fail fast forward." This mentality is one we can all consider as we furiously travel through our teenage years towards college and adulthood. We may have experienced unparalleled success in scholastic ventures and extracurricular activities yet also suffered devastating disappointment in other areas. A good friend of mine was rejected from the one college he had dreamed of attending throughout his high school career. However, the setback actually guided him to a university he now loves even more. Looking back at the experience, one can truly appreciate the effect that our past has on molding our decisions, feelings, and thoughts in the present day.
Heidi Homma, a senior at Miramonte, looks at her own memories with satisfaction, saying that "due to taking risks and coming out of my comfort zone, sometimes I felt remorse, but they were all learning experiences that will remain in my memories always." We grow and learn by involvement; without both the pleasure and the pain, we can never understand what it means to cherish every moment of life.
Lamorinda youth are invited to share how their school experiences have shaped them on Saturday, May 12 at the Moraga Community Faire as Express Yourself Teen Radio hosts live recordings. This is a free opportunity for community teens to express to global listeners what the end of school or graduation means to them. For example, the current seniors on our Star Teen Radio team are feeling the aches of time flying by too quickly. We have been producing the show, now number one on the network, for over six months, yet it feels like yesterday when we were figuring out the basics of operating Skype, struggling through the bumps of human and technological challenges.
I readily admit that the nostalgia of the past few years has bitten me, especially as I prepare myself for graduation next month. The memories of fifth grade, middle school, and each of my high school years will continue to define my individuality and the way I make choices in the future.
Consider this. The wins, losses, triumphs, disappointments, laughter, and tears of school elections, games, awards, applications, relationships, etc., may all be in the past, but without them, there is no present.
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Miramonte senior Steven Zhou is the administrator and host for the #1 YA global radio program, ExpressYourself! He has received a scholarship to attend Pepperdine University this fall.
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The opinions expressed in Teen Scene are those of the writer and not necessarily those of the Lamorinda Weekly.
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA