You know that saying “It could always be worse”? And that feeling of indignation whenever someone tries to cheer you up by saying that, rather than just consoling you on how awful your life is? Trust me, I know that feeling, when nothing is going my way all I want is for someone to understand my issues and not try to make me feel even worse by comparing my life to that of a coal miner or a child in Africa.

                Whenever I vent to my parents about the newest issue in my life, my dad always responds with “Well, you could be a coal miner.” This line was always so irritating to me. I didn’t want to feel bad about venting; I just wanted a shoulder to cry on and someone to understand what I was going through. But as I thought about it, it became clear. There are so many people out there who have issues that are much more difficult than anything I have ever experienced. I am lucky to have the things I have; that is consolation enough for me.

This year especially has had its fair share of disappointments. However, as I sit here in West Lafayette, Indiana the home of my future school, Purdue University, I just think to myself, “Everything that has happened to me over the past four years in high school has prepared me for this.” You see, the thing about high school is that when you are 16 and you don’t have a date to prom, you have a huge zit on your forehead, or you feel like you just gained five pounds, it seems like the end of the world. Trust me, it’s not. Though these things may seem like the end of the world now, when you are twenty something; about to get married, find a job, graduate from college( or wherever life will lead you), your high school drama will seem so miniscule.

 I have been at CMR for eight months now. I must admit they have been some of the most irritating, stressful, and anxious eight months of my life. I’ve had a countdown to graduation since the first day of school (68 days, for any seniors who were curious).  But these eight months have also been the best preparation for college I have ever had. I have learned how to cope under stress, how to handle almost any personality type, and how to appreciate the people in my life who really care about me. These are the lessons that will help me to go far not only in college, but in life in general.

Think of it this way, if nothing ever went wrong in your life and you never had to deal with imperfections and not getting your way, the moment something bad did happen to you, you would have no idea how to handle it. Bad experiences teach us more about life than the good ones.

Everything in life does happen for some reason. Though I often have trouble seeing what the reason might be, it’s there. Sometimes it just takes time and deep examination of the situation to understand why. Eventually you will find some consolation and maybe it will even work out to your advantage.  For the time being, just look at what you do have and be thankful for that. In the words of Bing Crosby, “If you are tired, but you can’t sleep, count your blessings instead of sheep.”