Living Life

I believe that nothing should ever be taken for granted and that life should always be lived to the fullest. I have thought about this idea on many occasions. As a fifteen year old I mainly think about the idea at school, usually when I am under a lot of stress. I have always gotten stressed at school when my workload seems unbearable, but I have never gotten as stressed as I did last year.

As a freshman I felt that I was under pressure because I have an older brother who makes straight A’s. This caused me to have a great deal of stress on a daily basis. Whenever I got stressed out my parents would notice and respond by saying “what is the worst that can happen?” I had never really thought about what that statement meant before the last week of school last year. I mean seriously if I fail a test or make a bad grade on an assignment, it isn’t like my family and friends will disown me and never talk to me again. So this year, you could say that I had a whole new outlook and approach to my sophomore year at the Webb School of Knoxville. I planned to make the best of my second chance by giving 110% in all of my school work all year long. The first week of school I was trying out a new public school known as HVA or Hardin Valley Academy. I will admit that a part of me was quite excited to get away from Webb and make all A’s for once, but another part of me was nervous because I would be leaving the school that I had always loved and been a part of for four years. During my time at Hardin Valley I experienced some pretty different things. One major difference between Webb and HVA is the freedom. At Webb almost everyone take the freedom for granted. At HVA there are police officers guarding the building and servalence cameras monitoring your every move. At Webb we

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have free periods, no policemen, and no cameras. We are very fortunate to have a school that is based on honor and trust. At Hardin Valley you can’t even go to the bathroom without carrying a signed hall pass around. I will say that I returned to Webb I had never been so happy to see Webb’s president Mr. Scott Hutchinson welcome me back. When I came back I had realized that I had made a mistake by leaving Webb, but I learned from my mistake. I was reminded of just how good my life was when I was attending Webb.

I believe that my experience with trying out a new school was a good one in the end. During my whole two days at the highly praised Hardin Valley Academy I learned many important life lessons. I learned that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side and that you should enjoy take advantage of the great freedoms that you have. Since this ordeal I have had a new appreciation for Webb. I have promised to strive for better grades and an overall attitude towards school. Since my return to Webb I have also been making much better grades and I hope to continue this pattern. So my advice to everyone is to take nothing for granted and to live every day like it is your last.