As I cheered
at the Randolph basketball game earlier this evening, the stands started to
fill with graduates from the past years, ready to begin their Christmas
break. One thing that I noticed
was the oldest alumni graduated only two years ago. Watching them talk to
current students at Randolph I wondered how much I would actually come back to
school and for how long it would actually last.
I
question if I will feel nostalgic coming back to basketball games thinking
about all the times I have cheered on the Raiders. I danced for 12 years at
Allegro Academy of Arts. I quit because I wanted to focus on school and my
cheerleading. Recently, I took a trip down memory lane to watch some of their
competition dances. As soon as I
walked in, tears filled into my eyes. It still smelt like air fresheners, and
dance shoes. Though they had a completely different system and the studio was
redone, the memories that rushed into my head remained the same. I ponder if I
will feel this when I come back to Randolph. I will be excited to see old
friends but those memoires might just be a chapter in my life, something to
look back on and smile. Leaving Randolph isn’t like quitting dance, it is
something that everyone must do.
As
you grow older high school seems less relevant. The alums that were at the game
that graduated two years ago were there to cheer on their younger siblings. It
is a rare occasion that I see anyone from the class of 2011 or below attending
the games or visiting teachers. I think that it is still exciting that many
people still keep in contact and make the connection back to Randolph, but I
find it interesting that it is not necessary to everyone to have to go back
their old high school. I feel like the memories will still be there and that
everyone will be able to reminisce.
Eventually people move on. People will feel the same way leaving
college, having to move on to the “real world” and finding a job. While
browsing through facebook I saw that old high school students, now adults, still hung out when they both ended up in the same city. This gives me hope that though people
will grow distant and the process will keep happening, if you are willing to
try, your friends will not be gone forever. I am excited and nervous to see
what the future will be like!
I am excited to see how your future unfolds...but you should at least come back to visit your teachers. Tell us about the cool books or classes you are taking. Also, you can become friends, even colleagues with teachers, coaches. Think of all the teachers here who once were students. Every time I read your posts I think of how we sometimes see this separation to college as a finality, an end point. However, it's a moment that these relationships can be reset, revisited. You can have a totally new relationship with parents, friends, adults--based on past experiences--but now as equals. I guess what I'm really saying is you better come back to visit me. And I want book recommendations.
ReplyDeleteSo I relate to your posts so much Catherine! I am going to be on of the alums that cannot come back and visit Randolph as much as all the other kids who are staying in state or at least not a plane ride away! I will miss not coming home for Thanksgiving, for long weekends, and even spring break! I am going to hate seeing instagrams and tweets about all the little reunions my friends are having! These reasons are probably the only thing holding me back from really wanting to go to BYU. If I stay close, I will stay close with my friends, but absence makes the heart grow fonder right? I will also be one of the alums who, when I am in town, will go to younger sibling's events. I do not think I will be able to just go to a game or to school without having another friend with me, but maybe I will. I don't know. Is being an alum going to be awkward? Like, when I walk in will everyone say, "What the heck is she doing here? She is all grown up!" Who knows. I guess we will just have to just show up and find out!
ReplyDelete