by Robel Wondimu ’13

Entering Sherwood, I was confused and naive as to what the future held in store for me, and four years later, weeks away from graduation, I am just as curious as ever. It’s maddening that the recurring questions that plagued me four years ago managed to creep their way into my mind again.

 Like others, I am beginning to prepare myself for the imminent transition from the life I have known for all of grade school to what should amount to four years of an exciting roller-coaster ride. I’ve come to terms with my own plans for the future by asking a simple question: will I be happy?

As played-out as it might sound, you can only afford to do the things in life that bring you joy, because things that don’t are not worth the uncertain amount of time you have. As a freshman, I became fixated with the notion of mapping out my future, which I now realize was done in vain. There are moments that can’t be predicted and have unpredictable results, so it’s important to expect adversity, take chances and dare to fail.

During February of junior year, I made the mistake of playing Mr. Huck in a game of one-on-one basketball after school; I say mistake because I lost. The fact that I lost wasn’t what got to me as much as the circumstances: I was 260 pounds, completely out of shape and got beat by my 40-some-year old English teacher. This was a devastating blow to my ego, but it motivated me to lose 90 pounds in a year by leading a more active and healthy lifestyle.

Beforehand, it would have been impossible for me to predict the game would happen, let alone the impact it has had on my life. My point in writing this isn’t self-validation but to try and share that life can be unpredictable and the wonders of tomorrow can’t be anticipated today.