My AP Calculus BC class had a double period class yesterday, and we had a test scheduled for the second period. Our teacher let us roam for the last half of the first period, and a friend and I went outside the room to observe the outdoors from the third floor. After I left, he stayed out there for a little bit longer, watching and thinking. He expressed his thoughts in a note on Facebook today, and I thought I would share what he had to say; I thought it was thought-provoking and meaningful, and very well worth sharing with others.
I recently spent some time staring out a window. It doesn’t have much face value, but it was a special window. It was on the third story of a building. Not just any building, but Prairie Ridge High School. The window is the one near the larger number classrooms, it looks down upon the junior lot and the track. This day happened to be a particularly nice one with a beautiful sun and a few stray clouds that make the sky just that much more peaceful. That peacefulness can only be enjoyed when one is surrounded by such peace, and this moment was no exception. There were about ten minutes left in the period, so there was no one in the hallways and I was alone, observing and admiring the world outside. The only noise to be heard was that of "Death of a Salesman" in the neighboring classroom, but the door was closed so I heard very little of it. People say silence is golden, and this was no exception. It left me alone with my mind and the complete serenity of my surroundings; all that it needed was some birds chirping to complete perfection. I thought of past events and what could come to pass, what I will miss about high school, things I would change, and things that I would like to do, even if I don’t have the courage to do them. The tranquility around me kept me relaxed, and that in turn produced some very solemn memories along with ones that made me happy, all of which make up who I am. While I spent my time thinking, i watched those who are in sixth hour gym run the track, unbeknownst to them that there is someone watching. That fact was irrelevant; they would continue to move whether I was watching or I was elsewhere. The world is always moving, whether I am there or not. The choice is mine, and mine alone, to be there with it or to let it pass me by. At this time the bell rang, and my mind was rushed into the school system once again for another math test. It was not until after school when I reclaimed possession of that feeling. It came on a golf course, which can be one of the most gorgeous and inspiring places on the planet. The way nature comes together in those locations is absolutely amazing; the trees gently swaying in the crisp, autumn-like breeze; the water gently rustling behind me; it all came together. With only a friend there with me, it was serene once again. He said to me something like "Rog, it’s really nice back here." And I replied "Yeah, it is." I had never noticed before what beauty existed in places that I had been thousands of times but had never taken the time to observe. The world is an amazing place, and sometimes it needs a second of my day for me to stop and stare and take in all that it truly has to offer, not just the obvious, but all the minute details that truly accentuate what a given location is about.
The original text can be found here.