Time is funny, most people perceive time in a linear function, but I perceive time as a 2-dimensional plane. Think of time as a piece of paper, one pencil mark in the upper left corner, is as arbitrary as a pencil mark in the bottom right corner. The dots are not aware that the other exists, but the pencil which made the dots is more than conscious of their place. Think of these dots as memories, and the pencil as the teller of those memories. 

I am the pencil, and my paper is filled with dots. Some bigger than others, but their significance all the same. Some of these dots have been erased, or faded at least. I would like to say that all these dots are ones of joy and happiness, but that would be a lie. And I’m okay with that, the memories I have since freshman year, good or bad, have shaped me into the person I am today. A person I am happy with and truly proud of. 

The lows I have experienced in high school have taught me that you need to get knocked down in order to get back up, and the highs have taught me that they don’t last forever. High school much like a boxing match, gives you a certain amount of time to either be knocked out or stay standing. But what about option three? Knocking the opponent down.

To understand if this option is possible in a high school setting you must identify an enemy. Is it  A) Administration, B) That one teacher you hate C) The kid who makes fun of you or D) The system as a whole? Going into freshman year, I assumed it was all of the above, and to win the fight, I would have to stay standing. I now realize that in order to even be competing in the fight we know in high school you must overcome: Yourself. 

There is the saying:  “people make a place” and for me, high school has been made by the people with who I have shared the experience with. When I am lucky enough to tell my kids about the past four years, it will not be about the red and blue-tiled halls, or other arbitrary details, but rather the people who roamed those very halls. 

There are different levels of friends/acquaintances in high school. At level one, I have my close friends. These are the kids I have spent the most time with, whether that be in one of our basements or third floors on weekends. I have made countless memories with them, and consider them lifelong friends. Then there is level two, here you have your mutual, or not so close friends. These are people you hung out with in class, but also occasionally see out of school. In this category the people are cool, and you enjoy their company, but odds are you will rarely see them past high school. Lastly, you have level three, at this level lies your school friends, people who have shared laughs and memories with you inside of school, but have most likely not hung out with outside of the doors of WHS. Looking back on my four years, I will miss these people the most, due to the fact that I will definitely not see them again after graduation. While I never got to know these people closely, the time I spent with them made going to school fun. 

Now for some thank you’s. I firstly want to thank my mom and dad, even though it was a pain in the ass always having a disproportionate amount of clothes at either of your houses, I would not have been able to make it up to this point without you guys. Mom, you always told me to work to my full potential, and this past year I believe I have done that, and can’t wait to do the same for the next four. Dad, you really are the coolest person I know, and I am sure some of my friends can attest to that. Throughout the past years, I could talk to you about anything, and especially loved our late-night conversations.

 Next, I want to thank my step-brother Gavin. You paved the way for me to become the best person I could possibly be in high school and were the first to show me some great life lessons, and continue to keep it going. Next is my brother Will, and if he’s reading this I want to say that this testimonial was way better than yours (write about something other than how being a goalie showed you how to be resilient, it’s basic). But all jokes aside, Will has impacted my life in more ways than I could ever fit into a few sentences, and he really is a great older brother. 

I also want to thank all the teachers who made my high school experience so memorable. Even though I hated doing some of your work, I appreciate all you do to make sure our future is in good hands. I especially want to thank you, Mrs.Stoker, your kindness and care towards me has always made your class the highlight of my day. 

For any underclassmen who may be reading this, fill your paper with as many dots as you can. Everyone will tell you this will be some of the best, but fastest four years of your life, and I can now confirm that it flies by.  It feels like just yesterday I was walking into the high school for the first time as a nervous freshman. But now my time is over, and in four years yours will be too–hopefully with a paper full of memorable dots.  Peace out, Westborough High. It has been more than real.– Sam “Shiffty” Schiffman