“Writing is easy. All you have to do is cross out the wrong words”- Mark Twain 

This quote has deeply resonated with me recently as I have attempted to write this article more times than I can count. I have written and rewritten opening lines, deleting sentences just as quickly as they once appeared. I’ve spent the last week putting copious amounts of pressure on myself as all I’ve wanted was for this article to be perfect. However when I became hyper fixated on perfection, my words suddenly became disingenuous. So I have decided to focus on authenticity over perfection, as I believe this is the most genuine way for me to express myself.  

I vividly remember attending my older sister’s graduation from WHS and sobbing as I could not imagine my day to day life without her. Her salutatorian speech was framed as a letter to her younger self, with the repeated phrase “You will never be good at goodbyes”.  At ten, I thought I understood this speech so deeply as I could not imagine saying goodbye to her. I found myself rewatching her speech recently and admittedly crying more with this time than I did hearing it in person. The idea of dreading goodbyes as you are afraid of what happens with an ending is exactly how I have felt the last couple months. I have struggled with the idea of graduation, of my future beginning the millisecond I throw my cap in the air. I am a creature of habit: I sat at the same lunch table for the last four years, I rewatched the same TV shows and I have notoriously brought a bagel for lunch for most of high school. I feel stable when life is unchanging, when I can disappear into the comfort of a routine without feeling as though the routine is only temporary. Like most people I have resisted change at every turn, holding onto my childhood as tightly as children grasp swings. 

During my freshman year, I practically covered every political issue under the sun. I wrote about Roe V. Wade being overturned, school shootings, gun control and the right to protest among so  many other topical issues.  This may appear as though I was establishing my passion for social justice. While this is fully true, what you, the readers don’t know, is how terrified I was to publish a majority of these heavily political stories. I was afraid of getting pushed back or my peers judging me for my liberal views. Yet as time went on, publishing these stories on controversial topics actually allowed me the confidence to speak out about more personal issues. Eventually, I stopped caring what my peers thought of me as they should not be able to dictate what opinions I vocalize. For many high school students, it’s easier to not discuss political issues as they are afraid of opposing views. Yet, I would rather debate the topic with someone than be too afraid to even have the conversation. While I have always been impassioned by politics without the Viking Times I can promise you that I would not be majoring in Political Science. I want to work on campaigns and make a real difference in people’s lives. To me these topics aren’t just headlines, they’re serious issues that impact real people. I believe that there is still goodness left in this country and I want to support politicians who feel the same. Politics is and always will be extremely personal. For those who say they “don’t do politics”, I urge you to open your eyes and actually begin to understand the destruction that is happening actively in this country. I hate to say it but if you are choosing to stay silent or not formulate an opinion, you are choosing to stay complacent. I ask you, will you only start caring when something directly impacts you? You may not agree with me but I believe it’s important that everyone should have  an opinion whether you feel inclined to express it or not. 

The Viking Times allowed me to find my voice at a time in which I otherwise felt unsure whether people outside of my inner circle would care what I had to say. Admittedly , I never used to publicly share my work before I joined The Viking Times.  I wasn’t sure if my stories were worth telling, or if my notebooks would continue to be the only ones who saw my work.  I will never forget the first time I read my name in the byline as it marked the first time I was pursuing my biggest passion. As therapeutic as writing for yourself can be, there is no better feeling than knowing your work is out there. As cliche as it may be, everyone deserves to have their story told. Thank you for allowing me to tell my stories for the last 46 pieces and I’m incredibly honored you took the time to read it.  To all past and current members of The Viking Times, thank you for sharing your passion and dedication to writing. The world needs more people with the same level of drive and thirst for creativity that you have. It has truly been such a privilege to work alongside you and I hope you never lose your desire to share your work with the world. Thank you to our fantastic advisors Ms. Irvine and Mr. Donnelly for allowing me the creative expression to write about every possible topic of interest. Thank you for trusting me to cover every story to the best of my ability and for never placing limits on my creativity. You allowed me the opportunity to grow as a writer and I am forever thankful for that. Lastly, to all those reading: I can never thank you enough for all the continued support. You may no longer see my name gracing the Viking Times weekly anymore but I hope that if you see my name in a different byline, you’ll consider giving it a read.  Everyone says to write what you know and even though my life is changing, I will always feel the most at home within my storytelling.  

“If the story’s over why am I still writing pages”- Taylor Swift