Week 1: Learning to Swim - Addy

When adults hear the word "teenager" they imagine a moody sixteen year old with their face hidden in a phone, scoffing and rolling their eyes at the sight of others around them. When teenagers hear that word, they think of the life they should be living: parties on the weekend, football games with friends, living life to the fullest. When I was little, being around older kids was like a religious experience. I dreamt of the day I would turn 13, but when it came, I didn't feel like such a god. When I was younger and told by my parents that time flies by, I saw that as a good thing. Now, watching days turn to weeks and weeks turn to months, I wish it would slow down. I spent more time waiting for certain things to feel certain ways instead of making the most of them. I fear I am not the only one.

Remembering the first day of middle school, the last day seemed like it would never come. I crossed days off in my head, eagerly waiting for the future. Then I blinked, and I was holding flowers at graduation. Next month I will be in high school, and I wish for nothing but to be a small, hopeful sixth grader again. Adults reminisce about their high school days like it was a scene out of Grease. They don't remember their fears and distress; they only remember the good times. I have realized that life only gets harder as you get older, and you can't stop it. You have to learn to accept the fast pace of life and make it as memorable as possible, or else when you look back, you will be disappointed.

Life is a never ending cycle of concerns, anxiety, self-consciousness, envy, and constant "what if"s. The question is, who set that system up? And the answer is, you. You don't have to live in constant doubt and fear, but you chose to because that's where you find comfort. You float in your confidence and drown in your insecurities. But it doesn't have to be that way. You can learn to swim.