Happiness does not know time

Happiness does not know time

Erin Daugherty, Feature Editor
May 23, 2016

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There are going to be highlights and downsides to every part of life.

It’s nearing the end of the school year, and I am laying on my back on the floor of my bedroom. I’m feeling blissful at the fact that I have no homework screeching at me to give it its full, undivided attention. As I roll onto my stomach I see something out of the corner of my eye; a seventeen magazine and on the binding it says “it’s fun to be seventeen,” to which I automatically think wow I can’t wait until I’m 17. A few seconds later another thought slams into my head like a hammer on a nail; I have already been 17 and have actually been 18 for quite some time now, I am actually closer to being 19 than 17 at this point. This train of thought at first made me terrified, I couldn’t believe that I had already flown past what is supposed to be known as some of the best times in my life.

Songs are written over how amazing being 17 is, examples include “Dancing Queen,” “Saw Her Standing There” and “Edge of Seventeen.” There is even a magazine titled after the famous age. After I calmed my brain down I was able to think more rationally. I came to my own conclusion apart from what some might say: I believe that 16, 17 or 18 don’t have to be the best years of one’s life. Neither does one’s college years or parenthood or even retirement life for that matter. What I’m trying to say is that there are going to be highlights and downsides to every part of life.

So far, 18 has been pretty good towards me; I feel more independent and I’m starting to care less what people think of me. It also seems that there are boundless amounts of adventure awaiting me in the future. But, I am also constantly stressed and I feel that infamous “teen angst” at the most random and inconvenient times. I have also felt more emotion within the past six months than I have felt in all of my other years of schooling combined.

This is a warning to all: Juniors, don’t go into senior year worrying that if it is not the best year of your high school career that you failed at life. The same should go for seniors who worry that if their next year at college is not as glamorous as hoped that their whole lives are going to turn out terrible for all eternity. Nothing is permanent,  I believe that the entire planet could look at these words of advice since I know I alone have doubts on life and aging on a daily basis.