Live Today…Strive for Tomorrow

1043 Words3 Pages

Live Today…Strive for Tomorrow

My senior year is here, and passing quite quickly. Each day “I walk with a purpose, but no destination” (Ehrlich 232). I’ve had this same purpose etched in my mind since I can remember, it occasionally changes, ever so slightly, but remains consistent—to surpass people’s expectations and achieve something out of the norm. College is around the corner, but where will that be, what will it be? Close to home? A Thousand miles away? Why am I so concerned with this aspect of life—is it because that’s what everyone else seems consumed with? Everyone is pushing me for tomorrow, but what happened to today? I’m losing sight of what is so close. I’ve forgotten about treasuring the moment, absorbing the experiences right here in front of me. We all want to grow up, move on, and encounter something better, but “when [we] run so fast to get somewhere, [we] miss half the fun of getting there. When [we] worry and hurry through [our] day, it’s like an unopened gift, thrown away” (unknown). I think it’s time to take a step back and look at all today has to offer, see the people around who love me, relish every moment with friends who won’t be here next year, and take a good look at myself. Why I am the way I am and am I headed in the right direction?

Joan Didion said that we are what we learned as children (161). I am fortunate enough to have grown up in a nurturing home with two stable parents. That has been the single most important influence on who I am today. The encouragement to do well and accomplish something in everything I do has been a constant force in my development. Winning— People often get caught up and forget that the reason they’re playing a game is to enjoy the experience....

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... life that happened in the past are the forevers because they live on in one’s memory. Those memories are so powerful—that’s what makes me want to make today worth something instead of always simply looking ahead. “Life is about the journey, not the destination”.

My senior year of high school…I want to enjoy people’s company, appreciate my family’s presence, and keep a permanent Polaroid of my “home town” etched in my memory. I have a purpose for the year, I know what I want to accomplish for the future, but I have to remember to make the most out of today because there may not always be a tomorrow.

Works Cited

Didion, Joan. “On Morality.” Slouching Towards Bethlehem. New York; Noonday,

1995 (1961).

Ehrlich, Gretel. “Looking for a Lost Dog.” Encounters: Reading and the World. 229-233.

Stockton, Jessica. “Eternity’s Corner.” Mercer Street. 52-54.

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