By the time this blog comes out, I will be seventeen years old. Another trip around the sun completed! But before that happens, I want to take some time to reflect on sixteen.
The best thing about this year has been my loved ones. Whether it’s my parents or friends, they have supported me through everything this year. One example is my friends who did the play with me and made the experience ten times better than if I had done it alone. Just knowing they were there helped calm me down during long dress rehearsals. That’s what people do–make life better. Even if it can feel like a hassle, there is nothing better than having people to do life with, and I can’t believe it took me 16 years to realize that.
But, everyone is an individual who has their own pace through life. It has taken me more than a year to get my driver’s license while some people at school have had it for months already. While I try not to compare myself to others, it’s hard not to feel smaller when other people can do something you can’t. It’s hard to process why you’re just not ready for something someone else does everyday. It just takes everyone a different amount of time to reach certain goals, and that variation is actually a good thing. Those who take longer can learn from those who go faster, and those who take longer can fix the inevitable mistakes rushing creates.
I started a club at school this year and somehow became the president of it. That means that my mistakes matter a lot more now, and oh boy did I make some mistakes. I won’t go into specifics, but before this year, I had no clue what leadership was actually supposed to look like. I only knew how to be in charge, not how to be a leader. But I learned that actual leadership means doing what’s best for your team even when it’s not the best for you. It means teaching people how to do things because they deserve to do them.
I also learned that you can be a leader to yourself. You can do what’s best for yourself even if it may not be the best choice at the moment and you can teach yourself how to do things even if you aren’t great at them the first time you try them. Everyone deserves someone to lead them. Even if it has to be you.
Well, that’s a pretty good summary of sixteen. It was full of ups and downs and lessons learned the hard way. But hopefully all these lessons mean that I’m ready for seventeen, my next trip around the sun.
Until next time,
Ella Greene
