Student Publishing Program ::

Lance G.

Living In The Past

Second quarter of the school year, Tuesday December 5, 2006 during H block. The drawing teacher, Ms. “Z”, began the afternoon class with announcing the class project for next couple of weeks or so. In a very detailed description, she explained that our new jobs were to construct many self portraits, but in different poses. Also, to incorporate a certain image or object that best expresses a specific trait each of us has. Of course, I was not in any mood to draw a boring detailed picture of myself. Already drowned in a pool of homework and tired from sitting in four long blocks earlier, doing any drawings were the last things on my to do list. School was already getting on my last nerve, and we had only been there for approximitely three months and five days. Only thing I wanted was a pillow and some covers to go to sleep on right on my desk. But to get my class participation grade for the day, I decided to make an effort in starting at least one of the portraits.

It took some thought for me to choose my object, but I finally made my decision. Walt Disney’s character, Goofy, was a perfect one to express my jokes and funny sense of humor, as well as, being clumsy (very rare to witness, but it is true). Weird thing was as soon as I printed the picture of the cartoon character, just for guidance, it seems as though I had entered a time machine, back ten years ago. The times where I stood only two feet something with a fresh hair cut, and this all blue kindergarten uniform. I could reflect on everything, from the smell of these yellow flowers planted all around the short and tan playground slide, to the texture of our soft and comfortably padded sleeping bed I was supposed to catch some Z’s on at nap time. My enthusiastic and energetic personality could be felt from a radius of thousand of miles away. I was invincible, I felt as if I couldn't be stopped or hurt. I had nothing to worry about, unlike all of the grown ups around me. My free time , seemed infinite, with nothing on my mind besides Saturday morning cartoons, basketball, or playing the drums. The word “ Responsibility” was not yet glued tightly into my own personal vocabulary book. Basically, I just had more freedom back in those days....

Eventually, I had snapped out of that “spacing out” moment as soon after the bell rang, signaling the end of the class. But for those split seconds, which seemed like an hour, I remembered my days as a youngster and compared how much time had become a major factor in my life. The fact that certain responsibilities, boring activities, or frustrating work had only begun to change me to act another way I wasn't used to. In other words, I was reminded of that two foot tall energetic boy still inside me, showing how I used to make things fun. I was reminded that I could feel the same sense of freedom and invincibility as I used to back in those days. So with a huge smile on my face and feeling refueled, I grabbed my book bag and was ready to pick up where I had left off 10 years ago!

[TABLE OF CONTENTS, LHS CLASS OF 2009 EDITION]