By Tori Godwin

Change is a part of living that each individual experiences many times throughout life. During childhood, periods of change are experienced daily. These changes lead to memories that can last a lifetime and help each individual learn while walking their life path.

There are many purposes for a memory. They serve as a release from the world for a moment, a life lesson, or something to reflect on. The important part is that each memory serves a genuine purpose. Freshman Sophia Smith keeps a memory of her grandpa, whom she calls “Papa John,” close to her heart. She said, “My Papa John took me to Shoop’s coffee shop when I was in Elementary School. He surprised me, picked me up from school, and took me there. We got milkshakes and he taught me a special trick. It was our special place.” Her grandfather was very special to her and gave her many memories to cherish. She keeps this one especially close because, “that was one of my last memories that I have [of him] before he got cancer.”  Similar to Smith, senior Maiyah Czarnecki also has a favorite memory with a family member. Her memory was with her cousin named Jordan. She said, “My cousin Jordan and I were having a sleepover and we got our little sisters to go [into the room]. Mind you, it was just a dark room. We would jump out at them and try to scare them. It was so much fun.” She holds this special memory close to her heart because of her close bond with her cousin. “This is just one of the many things that I will remember her by.”

A memory also has a way of impacting a person later in life. It can pop up at an unexpected time and possibly teach a valuable life lesson or just be used as a reminder of the “good ole’ days.  Whatever the case may be, memories play an important role in life. Sophomore Nathan Williams uses the impact from his memories as a reminder of positivity. He said, “[Memories have] taught me that no matter how bad things get, at least once a year they will get better.” Sophomore Faith Hutchens’s memories have impacted her by showing her the importance of family. “It shows me that family is very important and you should never lose touch with them! They won’t ever leave your side and they are always there for you when you need them the most.”  Junior Elias Ortiz uses his memories to remind him of the fun times he had playing baseball with his friends. He liked the great friends he had and the exercise he was getting. “[These memories help me to] remember the good times.”

Remembering the past times with her beloved grandfather, freshman Sophia Smith knows these memories have helped her to appreciate the small things in life. Photo contributed by Sophia Smith.

During childhood, many errors can be made, and the opportunity to fix them is granted. They are made to teach people about right and wrong, and what is the best choice for them. These memories of troubled times help push individuals in the right direction. During her childhood, Czarnecki learned many lessons. One in particular that she learned was “Don’t hide the things that you have done. You will eventually get caught.” There have been times where people have hidden wrongdoings in order to stay out of trouble, but as Czarnecki continues to explain, that did not help her one bit. “I broke my step dad’s glass wolf figurine and he knew it was me, but I didn’t want to tell. Eventually, he caught me trying to glue it back on. I was busted.” On the other hand, Williams learned a more physical lesson that is sure to keep him out of danger in the future. “I learned not to mess with bird nests. I was climbing a tree when I was 11 and I found a bird nest. When I started messing with it, the momma bird came out and started pecking at me. I lost my balance and fell from the tree. The bird continued to peck at me as I got up and ran home.”

Hutchens differs from Williams and Czarnecki due to the fact that her life lesson was about family. She said, “I have learned that even though you don’t think that your parents know what is best for you, they really do. And they only tell you what they know you need to know and care about your future.” During their strive for independence, some teenagers have been known to defy their parents because they want to be the ones in control, not the parents. Hutchens has definitely seen why parents give advice and try to show children the better path to take. “They want the best for you no matter what, and they hate seeing you hurt or upset about something.” Lastly, Smith has learned the sometimes difficult lesson of popularity and friendship. This can be a tough lesson that many people may have to deal with in life. Having a large amount of friends can be great, but sometimes it may not always be the best thing. “I learned that friendship isn’t all about popularity. I thought that having the most friends possible would make me gain friends, but it really just made me lonely because I didn’t have a lot of close friends,” Smith said.

Throughout the course of life, experiences will happen and cherishable moments will be kept in the back of the mind to pull out and reflect on at any time. The memories can serve as anything they need to be, but one thing is for sure. These five students have many memories and lessons that will continue to play into their minds and remind them of special times.