The Past's Perfection by Kendall

The Past's Perfection by Kendall - September 2022 Scholarship Essay

Advice is like candy given out on Halloween. It is shared freely and holds value to those who choose to cherish it. Most people forget the advice given to them, but occasionally, a piece of advisory gold is shared that manages to embed itself into a mind and leave a lasting impact on a life. One piece of advice recently given to me that has impacted me greatly that I would share with my past self is that it is ok to look back on the past but avoid staring.
For context, I had just finished my first two weeks with the Yellowstone Youth Conservation Corp (a month-long residency program where youth complete service projects for the National Park Service during the week) and was now with a new crew. Though my crew mates had changed, I was still with one of my original crew leaders. Noticing my intense nostalgia for the connections I had found within my previous crew, he shared with me that integral piece of advice. Reminiscing on the past can be therapeutic and beneficial, however, there is a very thin line between reminiscing on the past and becoming confined to it.
When I first entered high school, I was stuck in the past. Eighth grade had been amazing: I had a strong community of strongly bonded peers and teachers, seniority within the school, and was in a comfortable environment. In contrast, freshman year was a social shock of new environments, unfamiliar faces, and a differing caliber of classes, with the COVID-19 pandemic compounding the effects of these disturbances. The juxtaposition of an eighth-grade high with a freshman-year low caused me to ignore the present and focus on the past. This habitual aloofness to the present perpetuated a pessimism toward my reality.
By "staring" at the past, I robbed myself of the ability to enjoy my current progress. Going to dances, hanging out with friends, and performing in class events lacked appeal as they were void of the excitement and enjoyment I had become accustomed to. The excitement had not disappeared, it had simply evolved, similar to how I was evolving. The constriction caused by excessively focusing on the past severely delayed my acceptance of my new experiences and enjoyment of high school. I long to tell my past self that though things may change drastically, life has its ebbs and flows, what matters is that you stay constant nevertheless. Hopefully, this advice would be taken to heart and help ease the unnecessary stress I experienced transitioning into high school.
The past is important. It harbors connections, knowledge, and progress. Despite its many benefits, it has an insidious detriment. When focusing primarily on the past, at the expense of acknowledging the present, there arises a risk of missing the beauty and pleasure of the present. I would communicate this to my past self through a simple phrase recently told me: look back on the past but avoid staring. For my past self, this advice would help me adjust more easily to the rapid changing of life. For my present self, I will use this advice as I shift to new collegiate and future work environments to stay grounded in the present and enjoy my life as fully as possible.