Midnight Reflections

My sophomore year of high school, my heart was ransacked, my mind was twisted, my soul was diminished. It was all I ever wrote about. It was the only thing I knew for certain as a 15-year-old girl. My life has been saved by many people, myself included. I have many people to thank for their impact on my life. Some more important than others. Some know this. One person I can say i’ll forever be grateful to is the girl that led me to my fate. 

I wake up grateful to my sisters friend. I’ll call her AB (ay-bee), in case she wouldn’t like me to use her real name. It was second semester, sophomore year. The time of choosing your junior schedule came and I was conflicted. I almost chose to do choir again, which would’ve been a huge mistake because that’s where all my old frenemies were. Choir wasn’t me anymore, that wasn’t my crowd. I knew I couldn’t go back there but I had an extra space in my schedule that needed to be filled. 

I knew writing meant a lot to me at this time, and I thought it’d be fun sharing my thoughts. I noticed journalism and photojournalism were subjects I could choose from. I began to think. I remembered my sister’s friend AB, who happened to be a senior, was in the schools yearbook and newspaper. I sat in the library, drowning in my thoughts, shaking my leg, tapping the pen against my lips. I did something that changed my life for the better. 

I messaged my sister, and I messaged AB. My sister encouraged me to get more information about yearbook and newspaper and so I did. AB surprisingly answered me and gave me all the information I needed. I was confused. I didn’t know what suited me. Yearbook or newspaper? Both sounded really fun and interesting. I knew I was a writer, but I knew yearbook sounded very welcoming. 

I asked AB if she would be able to meet me in the library to give me more information in person. Thankfully, she was able to. After careful consideration, laying out pros and cons, and detailed advice, I decided. I was going to do newspaper. Writing was more appealing, it was what I needed. I knew i’d make a great addition to the newspaper team; I knew I had a lot to offer. I was ecstatic. 

Until I wasn’t. 

We’ll get into that further on in Midnight Reflections.

AB alerted me that i’d be getting interviewed which I thought was silly but also very fun and intriguing. It took a while for the time to come though. At some point I thought the interview was called off. That was until my child development teacher got a call asking for me to be sent down to the newsroom. I remember looking at my sister, eyes widened, jaw dropped, heart pumping. It was no coincidence my sister was in my child development class. I remember us laughing about it, her telling me good luck and to tell her everything later. I made my way down to the classroom which was only 1 classroom down, so I had no time to prepare before I knocked on the door. 

A newspaper staffer lead me to the back room which was called the lounge. As I made my way to the lounge, I noticed the four bright women sitting in comfortable chairs, waiting for me. The Editor-In-Chiefs, the teacher, and AB. 

I can’t tell you what I was feeling in this moment. All I knew was that I was excited for change. I knew I couldn’t go wrong, I just had to be me, but I had to make them love me. I gave the best I could in this interview, I made them laugh, I told a joke, I gave honest, mature answers. I felt accomplished. I knew I was in. I knew I had it in the bag. I knew the newspaper teacher, who isn’t just a teacher now, she’s my best friend, so I’ll call her Ms. Sidhu now, loved AB. AB recommending me was one of my favorite chapters in the book. She introduced me to my Editor-In-Chiefs who are now my best friends, Ms. Sidhu who is the key to my heart, and my venture for writing. 

AB’s recommendation got me a secured position. I’m forever grateful to her and my sister. I found my place in high school. That was what I truly needed at the time. 

I don’t want to get off my storyline, so i’ll get straight to the message. 

I got a chance to be in a room filled with talented writers who appreciated the beauty in my writing. They made me feel confident, comfortable, and welcomed. I had never felt so seen. The two years I spent in newspaper were rocky, sometimes hell, but turned out to be inspiring. 

I was picked like a rose to be in one of the greatest clubs to ever exist. This organization is one that makes you feel like you have a place. It was a place that lead you to greater inspirations. The greater inspirations lead you to life-long best friends. The life-long best friends lead you to an encouraging, supportive future. This newspaper team wasn’t just an elective, it was an inevitable embarking for me and I couldn’t be any more graceful with the characteristics I could possibly give it.

I hope other people in the world can find their newspaper and find their Sidhu because what i’ve learned is life doesn’t end when you lose all your friends. Life only begins when you lose their shadows and find yourself along the way to be the light that even gave them a shadow.

You are more than what you are at this very moment. Your potential has a one second rebound rate.

– A