Student Blog: Words of Wit and Wisdom
Our Co-Captain of Drama, Josie entertained Assembly this week, with her funny insight into gaining perspective.
Good morning everyone, I鈥檓 Josie and I hope everyone is settling back into school life. Here we are, another school term, which some may be a little nervous about, and others excited for.
Take me for example, just a girl in Year 12. I can鈥檛 say I know how I made it here and I definitely feel way too young to be in my final year of school. I thought I鈥檇 know my way around by now, have some knowledge about the world, be a little wiser, as would my year group. But instead, Emma told me a few weeks ago that Christmas was when Jesus died, and Annabelle just found out, courtesy of Ms Poole, that Genovia is actually a made-up place from the Princess Diaries.
Thinking about what I was going to say in this speech, made me think about how I got to Year 12. Looking back, the 鈥楳iddle School Josie鈥 is quite different to the 鈥楽enior College Josie鈥, and thank God for that! I remember on the first day of Year 7, I was with one of my friends and I said to her, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 make friends with people, they make friends with me.鈥 I thought I鈥檇 join 韩国AV in Year 7, having been top dog of my Junior School, with people just swarming to be my friend. I was in fact, very wrong and remember enjoying my lunch in the library by myself once or twice!
Eventually I made it to Year 8. In this year, I specifically remember my mum telling me I couldn鈥檛 have Facebook, to which I responded, 鈥淢um, I鈥檓 14 now, I can do what I want.鈥 As you can see, I was in a hurry to grow up, and then came Year 9. I was an obnoxious 15-year-old now, and I thought I was much older than I was. My priorities were definitely in the wrong order, constantly worrying about what others thought. I can only say this with the benefit of hindsight, because at the time, I thought I was doing everything right and that anyone who tried to tell me differently, such as my parents, were very wrong. And I wasn鈥檛 afraid to tell them that!
That鈥檚 not to say in any way that I鈥檓 not still guilty of saying stuff I shouldn鈥檛, pushing things too far or making mistakes. Just like all of us, I鈥檝e had moments when I could have been kinder or just shut my mouth before saying something I would regret. And this leads me to the fact that we all have flaws. I think it鈥檚 important to have the ability to recognise them rather than deny them, and to try harder (although it sounds clich茅) to be a better person.
What I learnt from my Middle School life was that in the moment, small things seem way more important than they are. Every slight friendship issue, which you are guaranteed to go through at some point, feels like the biggest thing in the world. I think it鈥檚 important here to have the ability to step back and put things in context. Believe it or not, Senior School is not the be all and end all, and there is life after this.
So, if you stayed up a little late last night finishing that essay or writing a certain speech, and are only tuning in now, just take away these two things:
鈥 Number 1, be yourself! If something makes you happy, then don鈥檛 worry what others say.
鈥 Number 2, you鈥檒l always have moments of weakness, so called 鈥榠mperfections鈥, but all that matters is the ability to recognise them and attempt to grow as a person.
Thank you!
Josie (Year 12)
Co-Captain of Drama 2018/19