Picture is Worth a 1000 Words

It was a beautiful summer day, and one that particularly stands out in the timeline of my entire  life, though I have only lived a fraction of it(hopefully). School had gone out a couple weeks prior to the special day, and with the blink of an eye, my high school days in Canada hit an end as a new door opened and was ready to welcome me shortly. What started off as a rather stressful and last minute kind of day was the day prom would be held for the graduating class of 2021.

I went through the routine that had played out in my head several times before the big day; I took a shower, put on my suit, and wore a big smile as the excitement inside of me expressed itself on my visage. Every moment lined up perfectly and my every move seemed perfectly calculated as I effortlessly prepared myself for what could be one of the most memorable moments of my life. A rather long drive later, and I arrived at the beautiful scene where the event would take place. The beautiful and vibrant greens of the grass and trees contrasted perfectly with the somber blue of the water and the colorful blanket of flowers covering the ground. It was the perfect day for my final goodbye to the 5 years I had not appreciated enough, and I hoped would mark a new chapter in my life. 

Though this was my last year of high school, it was also my first year at a brand new school. I had switched over with two of my best friends to ameliorate my chances of going to a prep school for hockey. Both friends had the same intentions as me and we persisted through all our struggles in order to realize our endeavours. Not only were they friends that stood up for me and brought my morale up at my lowest, but they were the brothers I’d created countless memories with every day in and out of school. The memories invaded my mind as time passed, and the minutes felt like seconds as the sun started setting.

Though we were definitely older, I knew that we’d never fundamentally changed deep down; our younger selves would always come out once in a while to poke fun at each other

Anthony Lombardo

Nonetheless, reminiscence couldn’t stop me from having an amazing night as even though it was the end of a huge part of my life, it was the start of an even larger one. A round of cocktails followed by some entrees were followed by a delightful dinner. A subtle sound of jazz played in the background as chatter and laughs filled the room. These moments made me realize how not much had changed between my friends and I as we still laughed at the same nonsense and picked at each other for every little mistake we made. This is an everlasting type of  bond that I feel couldn’t be separated by much.

Later, we all danced together and every worry we currently had drifted away as the rhythm of the music filled the room and brought everyone together onto the dance floor. I felt as though I was the best dancer in the world as I tripped over my own feet and walked around clumsily. My friends were still by my side recreating similar movements but always there to poke at the little things such as my bad dancing. I now consider little nuisances such as these moments I look back on in happiness.

The school prom concluded as the music faded away however, my friends and I all went to an after prom party stretching this special night just a bit longer. As much as I wished this night could have lasted an eternity, I was ready to let go. Though this was the end of a day like every single day on this Earth, where the sun rises and sets as time counts down, this was the last page of a chapter that I never thought would end so quickly.

I said goodbye to my friends for the last time in a while as we’d be separated on our journeys for the following years. Even though I thought I’d be devastated, I wasn’t all that sad. Friendships like these don’t just simply fade away. A completely new and different start to what is essentially adulthood hit all of us so suddenly. Though we were definitely older, I knew that we’d never fundamentally changed deep down; our younger selves would always come out once in a while to poke fun at each other. The picture I chose represents our friendship and the moments I reminisce about though I know a special bond like ours could only grow stronger as time goes on. It is worth much more than a thousand words and could be interpreted millions of times for every memory that shaped us into the people we are today. What may seem as messing around and being mean to each other was in fact a substantial part of our lives that helped us open doors and grow together  as friends.