As my time here in Westborough comes to an end and I head to the west coast, I’m beginning to reflect on the last few years. Specifically, I’ve been thinking about what advice I would give to freshman Max Dullea. Among others, I would say live in the moment.

High School is such a stressful time for everyone due to its uncertainty. Every kid experiences different types of stress and anxiety that they hadn’t yet felt. For me, the biggest load of stress outside of academics was my future. It was crazy to think that after four years of high school I will go on and live alone. In the strangest way, it truly feels like one day you’re playing treasure island at Mill Pond and the next you are on college tours getting asked constantly what you want to do with your life. To be honest, I have no idea what I want to do and neither do most people my age. Uncertainty allows your mind to run into dangerous places. For me personally, I would always think of the worst that could happen in a given scenario and it would cause a build up of nerves and general anxiety. Living in the moment is a complete reset of the mind from my experience. It allows you to be more focused and driven on what’s going on in front of you and it allows for you to plan out your future whether it be near or far. 

In the weirdest way, the last four years have felt like a blur. From my first day of high school to being on the verge of a diploma is mind blowing and humbling to me. At this particular moment in my life, I’m taking in every moment. I’m often very reflective with my life and try to remember the little things that make life so special. Nowadays, when I hang out with my friends I always take a moment or two to sit back and look around. 

Back to the topic of my testimonial, I would tell my freshman self to live in the moment. I would tell my freshman self not to worry about the little things and to live your life to the fullest. I would tell my freshman self to be happy and always enjoy the little moments that made this experience a challenging, rewarding, rollercoaster. Now of course, I wouldn’t be writing this without the wonderful people in my life over the years. I would like to extend my gratitude to my friends who I’ve been able to share this experience with. We have had a lot of good laughs and real moments throughout High School. I would like to thank Mrs. Conrad and Mrs. Stoker for their hard work in making the Lobby Observer a great community. Most of all, I would like to thank my Parents Mike and Sara Dullea for their unconditional love and support through the up and down ride I’ve been on all my life.