– Not a Goodbye –
Cause I’m bound to see you later
I was stuck for a while looking for some kind of quote to say what I wanted for me,
but it seems that I’ll have to write something of my own…
This year has been a blast. Truly. And I say year and not semester with a great intention because it truly feels like I have known you all for so much longer than a semester can justify. A semester doesn’t adequately explain the connection I have with this class… a class that has been in my dreams and heart the same way that drama has. Like theatrics, we have learned to be vulnerable with each other. The moment you post a blog, you are putting your work and effort on stage to be judged. These posts are not only an insight into your (possibly chaotic) mind, but they also build a mosaic of your heart. Each word in these posts show shattered fragments of your soul, and each is readily on display. Here, we manage to string them all together and perfectly tie them into lyrical stanzas and stories. So, as I have seen each of your hearts, and hopefully you’ve been able to see mine, I would like to thank a few of you for the connection I have made to your open heart.
Starting off with the infamous Zaid, the one who Hunni told us so many times to “be more like”. After seeing what this man is truly capable of, what he has accomplished, and what he has done for this class, it’s definitely safe to say that we should all be (at least a little bit) more like Zaid. The number of times this man contributed to class discussions was amazing and I truly look up to him for it. Every socratic, every class presentation, every little thing we did he was there and actively engaged. I saw time and time again how Zaid would keep the discussion moving whilst bringing very insightful and powerful ideas to the table; so, thank you and it sure will be a pleasure to see you later. (as in next year)
Consistently, there was one other person who seemed to share a psychic connection with Zaid and would too bring interesting and sometimes controversial ideas into the room: Maria. If any of you remember McGlashan’s Pecha Kucha, one thing that she nailed about herself was the fact that she always was the “mom friend”. Having two moms in the room is one thing, but this one would take care of you alongside the fools who soon became your siblings (Lexi the twin sister and Jimmy the younger brother). It was the simple things that Maria did that astonished me: picking up our scrap paper, having extra glue, rolling dice for intellect stats, those kinda things. But what struck me the most was how much I ended up looking up to her. She shared my geeky love for science but also challenged my not-so-existent political mind in a way that not many other people do. Through the class, I constantly referred to Maria’s blog posts to model my own posts after, and I have definitely improved because of it. But, this is not a goodbye, because I will never look at a peeled orange the same way again or be able to resist the urge to stack D&D dice when I see them. Thank you, Maria, have a great rest of your final year!
This one goes to the one who could connect with Maria better than Jimmy and I could ever hope to, Lexi. Over the past year, I have gone from knowing that Lexi existed to knowing that she will always be one of my best friends. Finding out that we got to be in the same family group brought me great joy, but my biggest takeaway from her this year has been her blog. I have never really read her work before but, being able to experience her seemingly effortless style in her posts has truly put me in awe. Consistently, Lexi writes from a place that she knows not only in her bones but in her heart. And seeing it develop surprisingly stronger with each post has been nothing short of glorious. My own writing has been greatly influenced by learning how to embrace my own style and voice and convey them through the words I use. Thank you, for being my friend and being someone to look up to.
And last, but certainly not least, is the man of danger himself. While searching the web for a quote to use I stumbled upon one which I couldn’t resist using here: “dulce periculum”. Translated from Latin it means “danger is sweet”, quite fitting, isn’t it? To be honest, Jimmy didn’t ever really strike me as an AP ELA kina guy… however, his Pecha Kucha instantly proved that he needed to be here! Jimmy was the source of my laughter through this class. Whether it be on-task or…. uh… not… he always managed to lighten any mood and instantly make our family group’s day so much better. But all joking aside, I was truly impressed with what Jimmy has done this year. From working with him in group projects to socratic discussions, Jimmy consistently kept surprising me with his insightful ideas that kickstarted our group in just the right way. He managed to take different angles on subjects and show us other interpretations that none of us had ever thought of before. So, one last time, thank you – thanks for what you have done to our family group to make it as great as it was.
I could go on… and on… and on for ages about each individual in this class and tell you all things that you might have already known, but for the sake of my sanity and the length of this post, I will leave it at this. Thank you all for making this the best year of my life so far, and I can’t wait to see you all again… soon.
Luca,
That was a truly beautiful piece. I am so, so happy that I got the opportunity to watch you grow as a writer and as a person throughout this semester, and this little comment section under this gorgeous bit of thought is the perfect avenue for me to express that. You are absolutely right about the blogs being a sort of diary for us all, and I will use it as such. I’ve never felt closer to a class in high school than this one, so being mushy won’t be a problem.
I want to tell you a quick story. A few nights ago, I was submitting a story for that short story contest thing, and I was swept with a wave of self-consciousness. I had filled out all the forms and attached the file to the application, but something was stopping me from hitting that submit. That old familiar doubt had crept back in, and suddenly my story didn’t seem so extraordinary anymore. Then, in a flawless moment of serendipity, Hunnisett sent me the link to this blog. Reading your words and remembering the support I got from our table filled me with pride, and I built up the courage to send in my piece. There’s a beautiful symmetry to the fact that Cosmonaut inspired you, and you inspired me to submit Cosmonaut.
It has been an honour being you, Lexi, and Jimmy’s surrogate mother for a semester, and I can’t wait to see you all again when we all come back. I’ll miss you and our little family every single day.
Love,
Maria (the eternal mom friend)
“Never say goodbye because goodbye means going away and going away means forgetting.”
– J.M Barrie; Peter Pan
This quote immediately came to mind upon reading the title you gave this piece. Truly, it saddens me that this road is starting to thin, and a lot of us are already at the end of the road and are moving onto better things; it’s a bit bittersweet, but that’s why we have the memories.
This piece was not really warranted in any way – no one asked for it or expected it, yet you still wrote, polished, and published it. During the time of exams, this was an incredibly stressful endeavor you took upon youself, but it really just shows your gratitude and dedication to this class.
Your writing structure is excellent; you frame the specifics with a general statement of thankfullness and humbleness that is the central tone that your show within the rest of the piece. This writing is incredibly polished and essentially free of errors that I normally love to heckle people for.
I like the idea of explaining how vulnerability is something that helps us grow, as it exposes fragments of ourselves into the critiquing eyes of others. However, without this level of discomfort, one finds themselves stangant in a sea of developing people. That said, it’s always best to expose ourselves to people who respect us and generally have our best interests in mind; and this reminds me of our AP class where everyone is truly sincerely wishing for everyone’s best.
I remember the first time you commented on my blog – it was on my Frankenstein response. It was the longest comment I had ever seen at that point, and it was really helpful to read your criticism. Prior to that, the only comments were on my pechakucha and didn’t really provide me with anything serious to work on in my writing, so I thank you for your honesty. I wouldn’t have improved without your comment.
This piece obviously mentions me, and so I must critique it. You referred to me as “the infamous Zaid,” however, I would prefer to be reffered to as Tan Superman (Registered Trademark).
Truthfully though, this piece is great to hype me up even more than I already am, and I don’t think it could’ve come at a better time, seeing as I’ve just finished with exams (and probably failed a few).
It’s been a pleasure to have you in my class every day. You did mention that I love to contribute to class discussions, and the reason I feel inspired to do that is because of people like you. You have no idea how much I scramble for my notebook and a pen whenever you start talking, and I myself have piggybacked off of your ideas many times.
From the first day of class, I knew you had a great analytical mind that was quick to come up with insightful ideas whenever we had a discussion. Your pechakucha was honestly one of my favourite presentations that I’ve ever seen, and I think it captured you as a person and your development in life very well.
I specifically remember when we were having a discussion on “Their Eyes Were Watching God” after school, and you were bringing in so much insight about the symbols in the novel.
What I didn’t know, however, was that there was a creative soul within you that I had never seen. Your musical poetry emulation really showed that off, and showed me there was another side to the amazing polyhedral of Luca. That piece was overflowing with soul and creative love, and it stayed true and unique to that writing style. I will be sincerely disappointed if you don’t continue to write creatively, as you definitely belong in that world.
All in all, it’s been a pleasure to grow with you in this class. Even though your beard could use some work, I see you as an exemplary individual who exceeds in everything he puts his mind to.
Lots of Lucrative Learning,
Zaid