It's Almost Over

Well, not quite.

What was it the principal said on the first day of school last Wednesday?

"Only 174 days to go!"

Thank you for that lovely reminder.

That tells me that my days of Mary Tyler Moore marathons are over...

...and that I can't just pop in an Audrey Hepburn flick any time I feel like it...

...and that my brother is thirteen...

...and that he's .1 inches taller than me.

I don't know how I feel about being...you know...

...old.

I'm bad at feeling like I'm superior to the underclassmen.

But they're all so...tiny.

Was I that tiny as a freshman?

Or that...stupid?

I guess I don't want to graduate.

I don't want to be a senior.

Everyone else is constantly saying, "I can't wait to get out of here."

Is it wrong that I don't want to leave just yet?

I'm not one for change.

I was upset when I got a new bed a few years ago.

Can you imagine how frightening the prospects of college are to a person like me?

Perhaps I'll feel differently once things are more planned for my future.

Then I'll be excited.

Maybe.

Oratory? Definitely. Original?...Ugh.

I love Do Hard Things. It's on my top five books list. I never get tired of reading it, and it has a place located very close to my heart. So, when I figured that I'd do an original oratory speech about it for debate, I thought, "This will be so simple! I'll just use stuff from the book yet make it my own!" No, Elyse, that's plagairism. I knew that. Silly me. So, now what do I do? Well, what ended up happening was me sitting myself down at Word with Do Hard Things in hand, and just typing. It was very negative, with no hope. "Teenagers are going to be the demise of the world!!!" was basically the unintended message. So I started over. It sounds more hopeful, and I think that its much more "me". I really think this speech could have effects beyond the competition room. I want to inspire people with what I say. Please pray that I can use the soil I've been given to be fruitful. So many opportunities present themselves in debate. This is one of them.

Back to School

So, school's almost started again. And I have to admit, at first I didn't exactly like the fact that every store takes the initiative to interrupt our tranquil summers with signs not-so-subtly poking fun at students. "Back-to-School Sale! Ha ha, you little scholars. You have to go back to homework! No more fun, no more, no more, hee hee hee!...."
But, seriously, I really actually enjoy school immensely. I don't always feel like this. It's the 'ol end-of-summer blues. Sigh. *Insert depressing jazz music here* I have had a great, relaxing, memorable summer, filled with great things, like:

• Student Life Camp.
• A trip to St. Louis.
• Beginning blogging. :)
• A super fun birthday celebration with some great friends.
• A beautiful wedding. I love to dress up. :)
• Some time with my family.

I do love summer, but school will be great. I love the clubs, the people, the day-to-day, and I do like homework, just not always in the moment. :) So, here's to school, the stepping stone of knowledge. Another year of learning. Sounds good to me.