getting to the end of the line

You know when you go to a theme park and you have to wait in line a long time to get to a particularly awesome ride?  Sometimes you wait an hour to ride for only 5 minutes.  But the wait is worth it because the ride is awesome.  It's worth it, right?  Otherwise why would you wait so long?

Friday was the last day of classes for seniors.  For the past week they have been playing out on the lawn during their free periods...  badminton, baseball.  There was a barbeque at 12:30 and a pool party.  It was a fun day final day for our seniors. 

I gave my classes a quiz on Friday morning, a last ditch effort to keep them engaged.  I am "evil" like that, just ask the seniors. 

A few of them have exams next week.  There's a senior luncheon on Wednesday and the unveiling of the yearbook.  They have rehearsal for graduation.  There's a baccalaureate service and the graduation ceremony.  The end of high school looms on the horizon, and they can count the remaining responsibilities on one hand.  Most say they can't wait for it to be over.  They've been waiting for a long time and finally they are reaching the end of line.

But I have to ask, what's on the other side of this line?  Certainly summer.  Some will get jobs, some will start college, some will travel, some will hang around at home restlessly waiting for their next ride to start, but what is it?  What is the new ride?

When I think about college, it was great, but so was high school, and so is adult life  That's just it.  What is great about the next ride shouldn't be just about waiting.  Waiting is boring. Waiting is wasteful.  It is what you are doing while you're waiting that matters.   Because there is no next ride.  It's all one ride, the same ride.  It's your LIFE.

LIFE is great because we work hard, play hard, and take care of the people in our lives.  LIFE is great because we take risks and face challenges and fall down and pick ourselves up again.  LIFE is great when we say yes to new experiences and no to stupidity, when we love and give back and rise to the occasion.  LIFE is great every day that we can go home with a good story to tell.

I watch these seniors, waiting anxiously for high school to end so that they can get on with the next thing.  The funny thing is, I don't think it's the next thing that matters.  I think it's this thing that matters. Today matters.  Every day matters.