Dear future me, if you’re reading this then a lot of time has passed. I’d be years older by now, hopefully with plenty of new friends and still my old ones. I want you to read this as a way of seeing how far you’ve come. As of now, I’m still stuck being afraid of making new friends, scared of how they’ll perceive me. I don’t even so much as want to raise my hand often in classes because I’m afraid of being made fun of for how I answered or how I may have stuttered a few times. It’s unpleasant & so I truly hope that by the time you’ve read this, we’ve even slightly overcome this.
If not, it’s okay. Keep pushing to achieve this goal. Every time I think about high school, I get a mix of excitement & nausea. I consider the feeling of walking through those doors, the school air & the crowded halls. Terrified that somehow, I’ll embarrass myself. Do we ever stop feeling this way? Does the excitement overpower our sickness? I know, more social or not, that you’re enjoying your high school experience. Middle school may have caused a lot of tears but I hope high school caused more blissfulness. Surely, we still faced some battles. Right? I hope you felt comfortable enough to seek help from friends, family, and even your counselors. Though, I can’t say I have now.
A lot of people say that once high school comes, everyone goes their separate ways. Either never speaking again or rarely speaking. Our friend group is going strong so far. Our connection continues to grow despite all attending different schools. Did we all drift apart? Do we still keep in contact with our friends? How often do we talk to them? With that being said, I know in middle school that we did pay a lot of focus to relationships. While it’s okay to have those kinds of things, I hope we stopped letting them affect how hard we worked in school. You can’t let them be your main focus over your education or base how your days will go on how they treat you. It’s not the right way to move.
Lastly, I struggle to keep myself from trying my hardest to understand why people do what they do & get them to improve. I know that it is not up to me to figure out or fix, but knowing ways their behavior can be altered makes it hard. I hope by then, you’ve not only stopped but also came to the understanding that it’s okay to let people be themselves. Even if that version of themselves isn’t good for them or those around them.
You might forget about me soon. I doubt you’ll remember for quite a while. I know myself pretty well. Though for as long as you do remember that you wrote this, I know you’ll feel proud of the fact you were able to give yourself something to look back on. Especially when you need it most. Be proud of how far you might’ve come. Know that while everyone may not accept who you are, it is only valuable that you accept yourself. It does not matter what everyone else believes about you, only what you think about yourself. Also know that how they see you doesn’t mean that is who you are.
–Love Naveah
Navaeh Burnett – Trinity High School – DMSF Class of 2030
Photo Credit: shangarey – Adobe Stock