Some Simple Things To Remember
Recently, conversations about graduation have largely surrounded the feelings and experiences of the class of 2020. This is perfectly understandable, as these graduates exited school at the beginning of an international crisis. The end of a school year normally comes with lighthearted gatherings like commencement ceremonies, but the COVID-19 pandemic marked 2020’s end. Whether at the high school or collegiate level, grads sit in a kind of limbo — careers on hold for the foreseeable future, and a sense of longing brought by a school year that wasn’t properly closed off. To the class of 2020, I see you, and I salute you. But as a rising high school senior, I want to turn the lens on the class of 2021. Guys, we need to talk.
It was difficult to be a teenager even before our lives were necessarily in danger
As we all know, unrest is plaguing our world. In the United States, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has passed the two million mark. The May 25th murder of George Floyd by a police officer has caused our nation to all but implode, and the Commander-in-Chief has done little to soothe either of these serious problems. We, as a class, will have to deal with the aftermath (and/or continuance) of these issues, and I want us to be ready. Look, before the pandemic, many of us kept our focus small. We did our best to face the ground level issues in our lives: stress, standardized tests, grade point averages (GPA), jobs, caring for our families, dating, breaking up, mental health problems, etc. It was difficult to be a teenager, even back when all our lives weren’t necessarily at risk. But we have leveled up people, and a whole new set of responsibilities are coming to us.
Some of you (perhaps all of you) will go back to school angry
The class of 2021 will be tested. Everything that our countries are facing right now is going to play out on some scale at school. School in of itself will look drastically different from what any of us are used to. I urge you all to think about how you will navigate this new, unfamiliar environment. Some of you (perhaps a lot of you) will go back to school angry. I can already see the grounds divided over those who stand with the Black Lives Matter movement and those who oppose it. Some of you will go back with heavy personal losses. The current pandemic has claimed too many loved ones. How everything we have been through clashes is up to us. How it changes and shapes us as future leaders and inheritors of our flawed governmental systems will be up to us.
If we are going to be the generation that changes the world (as I still believe we can be) we have to address all the issues we’ve inherited and actively work to change them. That’s right, all of you who hate participating and speaking up. Who get uncomfortable at the thought of voicing your ideas or opinions for fear of ridicule? You will have to talk.
Not making our voices heard is not an option anymore. Right now, you can project your ideas. Harness social media if you can. Write to your political officials. Donate to charities who are championing causes you believe in. I believe that the best change comes when everyone chips in. Even if I hate what you’re saying, understanding views different from mine is how I grow. It’s how we’re all going to grow in the coming years.
I urge you not to treat this time as inconsequential. Everything that will happen will be vitally important to discuss, analyze, and work through. History has its eyes on us. Have conversations now about the world. I have seen some of the most eloquent discussions come from the so-called “snowflakes” of my generation. Plan big. Plan to change political offices. Plan to make policy. Plan to restructure broken systems. Plan to keep on protesting until things change. Plan to make art that touches people. Plan to be empathetic to others, but also decide what’s important to you.
We are all in a unique position. We will be the class who enters the world post-everything. We will matter more than ever. Harness that importance, that relevance. Plan for positive change. The world is going to need it.
Atira C. © 2020. All rights reserved
