This is my high school career: Haleigh Vinyard
Haleigh Vinyard, senior
May 7, 2014
So many things have happened to me in high school. I have come a long way since freshman year to now; although a lot about me has changed, I still have a long way to go.
I came into high school not expecting much, maybe to make a few more friends. Most of my freshman year was spent under the radar and trying to deal with issues I had at home. I had a lot of emotional issues, and I did not make the best decisions on how to deal with it.
Sophomore year I had to put down my dog, and she was my best friend. I spent a lot of time after that just being sad and no one really wants to be friends with a sad person, but that’s what’s funny, you need friends when you are sad. I tried to distract myself with sports; I played golf, basketball, and swimming. Sophomore was the hardest year with my classes and extra-curricular activities.
The summer after sophomore year I spent most of it just lying around because my knee had been bugging me a lot so I stayed off of it to try and help make it feel better. When junior year rolled around and it was time to start conditioning for basketball my knee still did not feel right, it felt worse.
I did not want to accept that I was hurt, so I kept pushing myself thinking I could just push through the pain, but that did not work. Finally, I decided to go to my doctor, and I knew what he was going to say, yet it still hurt when he said it. Once he told me my only option was surgery, it seemed like everything stopped because I knew my life would change.
Most of junior year was spent being mad, mad because of my surgery, mad at family and friends not understanding, mad at myself, and mad at the world. No one wants to be friends with someone that is mad all the time. Junior year I found out who my friends were, I know that sounds cliché, but it is so true.
Not being able to do sports or really work out gave me a lot of time to do some thinking. I thought about where I was in life, where I wanted to be in life, and what I needed to do to get there.
The summer after junior year I realized that I am in charge of my happiness, and that if I wanted something to change I had to do it, but at that point it was really just talk. Summer was amazing, it was carefree.
Senior year started and it was so hard. I had anxiety about every class and my plans for the future. I realized high school was almost over, and I really did not accomplish anything. I was freaking out over little things that should have never mattered that much.
So finally I did what I should have done a long time ago, I took control of my life. I realized trying to deal with my problems by myself was not enough for me, so I decided to go see a counselor and a psychiatrist. I started antidepressants which also help with anxiety, although I have only been on them for four months I can tell a huge difference. I can face my problems and deal with stress much easier and a healthier fashion.
If I could tell my freshman-self one thing I would tell myself to listen to my body and to take care of my mental state of mind. It is okay to miss a couple of assignments if it means you do not break down crying at 3 a.m.
My plans after high school are to be a summer camp counselor, take a semester off, then move to Maui and go to college out there for two years. I really do not know where I am going in life, but I plan on taking care of myself mentally and physically.
