by Emory Gun

Like many others, music plays a major role in my life. Whether I’m stressed, angry, nostalgic, or on top of the world, there is a song that I relate to.

Freshman year was filled with new experiences and new people. “Unwritten” by Natasha Bedingfield states, “I am unwritten/ … I’m just the beginning/ The pens in my hand/ Ending unplanned/… Live your life with arms wide open/ Today is where your books begin.” I could never have predicted how the rest of my high school career would have played out. Freshman year was nerve wracking, but I was also able to find a new level of independence and to meet so many new people.

Next, sophomore year. It started out in the best way possible when I had the best summer of my life, felt great about my friends, and was more confident in myself than I had ever been. You could say I was finding my groove at Sherwood. And then, of course, Covid hit. “Good Old Days” by Macklemore explains it well: “I wish somebody would have told me, babe/ That someday these would be the good old days/…Someday soon your whole life’s gonna change/ You’ll miss the magic of these good old days.” Quarantine was a tough time, but it made me appreciate my family and friends that much more. Reflecting on my time before Covid made me so much more grateful when I was able to come back to school a year and a half later.

Junior year was confusing. School was virtual until the last couple of months. During this time I was so appreciative of all that I had, like a roof over my head and a loving family I was fortunate enough to quarantine with, but I was also feeling very secluded. In Brandi Carlile’s song “Josephine” she sings,

“Take me back, Josephine, to that cold and dark December/ I am missing someone, but I don’t know who/ Now I’m standing alone and I’m trying to remember.” I missed going to school everyday, meeting new friends in classes, and lunch time with my friends (FaceTime lunch just wasn’t the same). I was longing to go back to “normal” times.

Senior year has been filled with highs and lows. I’ve really enjoyed being back at school and being social again, but I’ve also struggled with my mental health. In Billie Eilish’s song “Getting Older” she sings, “I’m getting older, I’ve got more on my shoulders/… I’m happier than ever, at least that’s my endeavor/ to keep myself together and prioritize my pleasure.” This year I’ve had some amazing moments and some really tough times. All of this has taught me so many lessons. I have to start doing what makes me happy instead of worrying about the ‘whats ifs.’ I’m working on helping myself so like Eilish I can be “happier than ever.”

The last lyrics in “Closing Time” by Semisonic are, “Closing time, every new beginning/ Comes from some other beginning’s end.” Although this chapter is ending, a new one is beginning and I know that I am ready for it.