Why Moments Matter
* Originally posted April 26, 2015
Although today began like any normal Saturday, it didn’t end that way. Yes, I know prom makes things different, especially at a residential campus, but this way was different in a new way. As I went to lunch, I was getting excited about prom, but one text would change the mood for the day. It wasn’t who the text was from, but what it contained. In the middle of getting lunch, I found out that a girl I went to school with had been killed in a car accident. Details at the time were slim to none, so I tried to keep up with what was going on. It was not until about twenty minutes ago that I found out what happened.
A 17 year-old girl from my old school had gotten into a car accident on the way to work this morning. She ended up running off of the road and into a tree. Currently, why she ran off of the road is unknown, but knowing why could make it even worse. It’s a sad event for all of us, even though we may not be around her on a daily basis. Up until this point, the only people who left our class were the ones that moved to different schools, including myself. This is the first time that someone has left our class that won’t be returning, will never get to have a family, and never get to live her life.
Her death has hit us all hard since my hometown is small. In my sophomore year, there were 200 people in my class. Even though I did not hang out with the girl much anymore, I met her in the fifth grade when I changed schools again. Our class there was less than thirty people, so naturally, everyone was close. We started band together even though I continued into marching band where she continued into track. Track was one of her passions and something she was really great at.
Even finding out this information, I was still supposed to go to prom. I tried to push it to the back of my mind while I was there, but the thought still lingered. I couldn’t check social media because everyone from my hometown was posting about it, which only made me sadder.
I’ve never really understood the meaning behind prom. I’ve always seen it as an event where people dress up way too much and go to a dance. However, tonight, I noticed more to the idea. Close to half of the people who were at prom tonight will graduate in less than a month. After they graduate, they will all follow different paths and many will not see each other again. It’s the celebration of the last bit of time that we have left with each other before all of these people go out into the world. It’s the last time many of us will see each other again.
Even though reunions are set up, not everyone comes to them. Some people live too far away to make it, others can’t make it because of other commitments, and some have passed away. There will never be a time where we will all be together again after this year ends. Because of this, we should cherish every moment with friends and classmates, even if we do not spend time together on a regular basis. That way, even when we don’t see some of them again, we still have memories of them and the impact they had on our lives.
Although today began like any normal Saturday, it didn’t end that way. Yes, I know prom makes things different, especially at a residential campus, but this way was different in a new way. As I went to lunch, I was getting excited about prom, but one text would change the mood for the day. It wasn’t who the text was from, but what it contained. In the middle of getting lunch, I found out that a girl I went to school with had been killed in a car accident. Details at the time were slim to none, so I tried to keep up with what was going on. It was not until about twenty minutes ago that I found out what happened.
A 17 year-old girl from my old school had gotten into a car accident on the way to work this morning. She ended up running off of the road and into a tree. Currently, why she ran off of the road is unknown, but knowing why could make it even worse. It’s a sad event for all of us, even though we may not be around her on a daily basis. Up until this point, the only people who left our class were the ones that moved to different schools, including myself. This is the first time that someone has left our class that won’t be returning, will never get to have a family, and never get to live her life.
Her death has hit us all hard since my hometown is small. In my sophomore year, there were 200 people in my class. Even though I did not hang out with the girl much anymore, I met her in the fifth grade when I changed schools again. Our class there was less than thirty people, so naturally, everyone was close. We started band together even though I continued into marching band where she continued into track. Track was one of her passions and something she was really great at.
Even finding out this information, I was still supposed to go to prom. I tried to push it to the back of my mind while I was there, but the thought still lingered. I couldn’t check social media because everyone from my hometown was posting about it, which only made me sadder.
I’ve never really understood the meaning behind prom. I’ve always seen it as an event where people dress up way too much and go to a dance. However, tonight, I noticed more to the idea. Close to half of the people who were at prom tonight will graduate in less than a month. After they graduate, they will all follow different paths and many will not see each other again. It’s the celebration of the last bit of time that we have left with each other before all of these people go out into the world. It’s the last time many of us will see each other again.
Even though reunions are set up, not everyone comes to them. Some people live too far away to make it, others can’t make it because of other commitments, and some have passed away. There will never be a time where we will all be together again after this year ends. Because of this, we should cherish every moment with friends and classmates, even if we do not spend time together on a regular basis. That way, even when we don’t see some of them again, we still have memories of them and the impact they had on our lives.