As we covered the graduations of local high schools the past couple weeks, it made me think about my own high school graduation.

Ten years ago, I graduated from high school with no idea what I was going to do the rest of my life. I just remember being ready to be out “on my own” in college.

It is funny how I was clamoring for my independence and freedom while thinking I was going to be somebody that mattered.

So much has changed and yet so much is the same.

Luckily, I have come to realize I don’t think anybody really knows what they are doing and your job doesn’t really define your worth. My advice to new graduates, high school and college, is that you don’t have to have everything figured out. There is plenty of time to make mistakes and start over.

It isn’t really advice anyway. It is more of an advanced notice of what is surely to happen. Whether you take it to heart or with a grain of salt, you’ll most likely experience having to start over at some point whether you heed the advice or not.

I think it’s great to reinvent yourself every once in a while. Explore your interests and see what happens. I’ve been fortunate enough to already experience three different seasons of life in my 10 years since high school with my time in college, my shoe-selling career and now my journalism career.

This past weekend, I drove back to north Alabama for my 10-year reunion.

Never wanting to miss out on anything, sometimes I have this disposition of jumping into things and marking yes on an RSVP before thinking it through completely. It wasn’t until much later I started to consider this whole idea of a reunion, and I realized how ridiculous it could become.

By nature I’m a shy person and I realize I’m going to have to talk to people I haven’t seen in years and that I didn’t talk to very much 10 years ago. This is where my job skills come into play, but there was definitely some concern I wouldn’t remember someone’s name. Then there was the intense texts I exchanged with a friend on what would be acceptable attire to such a gathering.

Upon arrival, I felt a bit silly for the time and effort I took to travel home and choose a dress to wear, but then I realized we all made an effort to be there. We all cared for some reason or another to be in attendance, and there was really no reason to feel dumb, especially since these people knew you at your most awkward.

The night flew by. I talked to so many people, and because Facebook has many of us caught up on each other’s whereabouts, we could pass the formalities and just really talk about life and dance the night away.

So my next piece of unsolicited advice is to just jump in and experience life. Don’t do anything dumb, but also don’t over-think things. Just try to balance it all out. Easier said than done, but it could make all the difference.

 

Alana Norris is a staff writer at The Vicksburg Post. You may reach her at alana.norris@vicksburgpost.com