Ticking clock

Kaitlyn Steffen

The concept of time is something that endlessly confuses me. When the four year countdown began, it seemed the end would never come. I used to want time to speed up, feeling as though I was just waiting for the next exciting thing to happen. Now that the countdown is almost over, time seems to be moving at super speed. There is nothing I wish to do more than to slow down the clock.

 

Any one of my friends could tell you that I tend to procrastinate. For example, I am just writing this the night that it is due. Though I know this is not one of my best qualities, in this case, I’m glad I chose to procrastinate. Today at our senior retreat, former Xavier Principal and President Mr. Keating spoke to us. There was one thing that he talked about that really resonated with me: “You cannot slow or stop time. The only thing you can control is how you utilize the time you have been given.”

 

As someone who loves to daydream about the future, it can be hard to live in the present and fully enjoy the great moments being in high school brings, like cheering on the Saints and laughing with my friends in between classes. I always find myself worrying about what comes next, trying to have every detail planned out. Looking back on the past four years, I wasted so much time stressing about issues that are not even relevant in my life now. 

 

Now that I understand how quickly four years can pass, I want to spend the next four living in the moment and being spontaneous, not only through opening up and letting new people into my life, but also getting out of my comfort zone and trying things that scare me. I do not want to take for granted the time I have been given, letting it speed past without using it to accomplish something. Though the clock will keep ticking, it is time that I start to recognize the value of each moment I have been given and make every second count.