Grow

Some say, "The only way to grow is to learn." Well, I've done a lot of growing so far. I'm 5'9", towering over most of peers, which means I've done my fair share of concept mastery. However, the sky stretches millions of miles above me and it's evident I have so much more to learn.

I don't know how big the universe is, or when the world will end. I don't know what happens after we die, and I don't know if true love is real. I will probably never know the answer to these questions and dwelling on them only makes me shrink an inch for every minute I waste on them. Just like any child, I want to grow up big and strong so I drink my milk, eat my vegetables, and study hard in school. I struggle with interval checks in Pre-calculus, have a hard time finding assonance in poetry, and still confuse my 4S and 3D sublevels in Chemistry.

It's humbling to admit what I do not know, though it is easy enough to say, "I don't get it." The hard part is overcoming the obstacle, and in turn, gaining knowledge. Because I can admit I do not understand something specific, it gives me the chance to use my curiosity to find the answers to my questions. Those who are pretentious and indifferent will find themselves without the wisdom to be successful in life.

I don't know where I'll end up in life. With any luck, I'll grow tall enough to be the world's most coveted basketball player, even though I can barely dribble a ball for more than three bounces. More likely, though, I'll become a psychologist, or an equestrian trainer, or an English teacher. I don't know where I'll end up in life, and though that's terrifying to admit, it's better this way. Would I try as hard as I do, if I knew I'd end up with an unfulfilling job? I can dream of incredible things; of having my own barn with 24 stalls and ten horses of my own. I know this is just a wish, and this wish makes me fight for what I want. I may never become a horse trainer, I may become the best trainer in the United States, I may give up on horses altogether and pick up pottery instead. But what I want to do is train, and I won't know if I'll be successful unless I try.

I always eat my breakfast, get a good night's sleep, and never cram before a test. I enjoy every class I'm in and love to learn. I love the feeling of discovering something shocking, be it finding the value of i in Algebra II, or the feeling of clearing a four foot jump on horseback for the first time. If the only way to grow is to learn, I hope one day I'm so tall that if I trip, I'll hit my head on the moon.