You may have read the title of this article and known exactly what I was talking about. Or, perhaps you looked at the title and had no idea what I’m talking about. Either way, let me explain.
You spend most of high school scared of judgment, bullying or what people may say about you. That end of high school feeling is when you're sitting in your auditorium or cafeteria or gym surrounded by the people you literally grew up with and there is no more drama. Just a mix of different emotions: happiness, sadness, excitement, disappointment, fear: whatever it may be. You look around and you know this is gonna be the last time you see some of these people because not everyone goes to community college.
Then it happens. Your sitting in your rows practicing and you are suddenly talking to people you’ve never spoken to in your life. Suddenly all the groups of popular people, nerds, band geeks, and jocks become one giant group of friends like none of those groups mattered.
You leave school, then come back hours later for the ceremony. Walking through the halls for the last time, going to the area that you will line into groups and walk to the field. You see old teachers and hug them goodbye. Walking past old classrooms thinking “hey I had a class in there once." Walking down the dark hall flooded with memories. You get your cap and gown on. Get into your rows. Then row by row you start making your way down to the football field.
You hear pomp and circumstance blasting over the speakers and you sit in your seat on the field listening to the speeches and the loud screams of proud family members.
Right before you move your tassel, you get flooded with memories. You remember your first day of high school. Not knowing anyone. Just a tiny freshman in a huge school. You remember the first homecoming you ever went to. You remember your first final. Your first high school spring break. You remember making friends with seniors, not knowing what they were going through, seeing them cry on the last day of school. Then you remember your last final. Your last high school dance. You remember your first last day of high school, and suddenly you’ve become that crying senior that the freshmen look at with confusion.
You move your tassel, look around at your fellow classmates and throw your cap in celebration. After the ceremony, you desperately walk around the field looking for your friends. You hug as many people as you can then meet up with your family. That’s it. You’re done. You are officially a high school graduate and a freshman in college.
As you pull away from the school for the last time, it hits you. You aren’t coming back next September. You are now nothing but a distant memory for the school. Tears begin to fall from your face. You go home to a family party and you look through your yearbook. It isn’t until later that night you finally realize what that feeling you’ve been feeling all night is. The feeling is accomplishment.
