![“[Building nerf blasters] became this outlet of creativity for me that hasn't been matched by anything else. The process [of] making a build complete to your desire is such a painstakingly difficult process, but I've had to learn from [the skills needed from] soldering to proper painting. There's so many different options for everything, if you think about it, it exists. The best part is [that] if it doesn't exist, you can build it yourself," Ishaan Parate said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_8149-900x604.jpg)
![“When I came into high school, I was ready to be a follower. But DECA was a game changer for me. It helped me overcome my fear of public speaking, and it's played such a major role in who I've become today. To be able to successfully lead a chapter of 150 students, an officer team and be one of the upperclassmen I once really admired is something I'm [really] proud of,” Anvitha Tummala ('21) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Screen-Shot-2021-07-25-at-9.50.05-AM-900x594.png)
![“I think getting up in the morning and having a sense of purpose [is exciting]. I think without a certain amount of drive, life is kind of obsolete and mundane, and I think having that every single day is what makes each day unique and kind of makes life exciting,” Neymika Jain (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Screen-Shot-2017-06-03-at-4.54.16-PM.png)
![“My slogan is ‘slow feet, don’t eat, and I’m hungry.’ You need to run fast to get where you are–you aren't going to get those championships if you aren't fast,” Angel Cervantes (12) said. “I want to do well in school on my tests and in track and win championships for my team. I live by that, [and] I can do that anywhere: in the classroom or on the field.”](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/DSC5146-900x601.jpg)
![“[Volleyball has] taught me how to fall correctly, and another thing it taught is that you don’t have to be the best at something to be good at it. If you just hit the ball in a smart way, then it still scores points and you’re good at it. You could be a background player and still make a much bigger impact on the team than you would think,” Anya Gert (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AnnaGert_JinTuan_HoHPhotoEdited-600x900.jpeg)
![“I'm not nearly there yet, but [my confidence has] definitely been getting better since I was pretty shy and timid coming into Harker my freshman year. I know that there's a lot of people that are really confident in what they do, and I really admire them. Everyone's so driven and that has really pushed me to kind of try to find my own place in high school and be more confident,” Alyssa Huang (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AlyssaHuang_EmilyChen_HoHPhoto-900x749.jpeg)
Taking control
Brittany Maynard
Maynard and Diaz embrace on their wedding day
“Make sure you’re not missing out.
Seize the day.
What do you care about?
What matters?
Pursue that.
Forget the rest.”
Now that she has only 22 days left to live, 29-year-old Brittany Maynard has taken the time to reflect on her life so far and has discovered what truly matters to her. Currently, Maynard suffers from stage four brain cancer. Despite several surgeries attempting to combat her tumor, Maynard was told in April that she only had about six months left to live.
After weighing her options, Maynard finally decided that the best decision for her was to pass peacefully in her home. Rather than allowing her condition to slowly and painfully take her, she decided to move to Oregon to take advantage of the death with dignity law. In Oregon, state regulations will allow her to take her own life on the date of her choosing.
After reading about Maynard’s situation online, I was disheartened. At first I just felt pity, but then I began to reflect on her words. Seeing how her outlook on life had changed so significantly now that she knew exactly how much time she had left forced me to weigh the importance of each small moment.
Every detail that seems so important in the short term is ultimately insignificant in the grand scheme of things. Each day I see my peers working so hard towards end goals that seems so far off in the future. Of course I see the value in planning a future, but I also see people forgoing opportunities, experiences they will never be able to recreate.
So where’s the balance? If you really only had a month to live, how would you spend your time? Without a doubt some of the most common responses would include “with my family and friends” or “taking risks and trying new things,” but that seems to be easier said than done.
In a world where everyone is so driven, so focused on what’s coming next, it is hard to live completely in the moment. Throughout the day there is hardly ever a second when we are not either reflecting on something that has happened or planning something to come.
It’s difficult to stumble upon a passion in the midst of this everyday flow of constant movement, especially when a dedicated pursuance of these passions is accompanied by the internalized pressure of succeeding at something you love.
For example, as pronounced as my distaste for math is, it’s easier for me to spend hours studying for the next exam (with Facebook breaks every five minutes or so) than allocate that time to a passion demanding my full conscious presence. Simply put, it’s easier for me to do math because I care about it less – I don’t consider my mathematical abilities a reflection of myself.
Maynard reminds us that it’s our responsibility to make time for the things that fulfill us. While life is finite, the connections we make with the world around us don’t have to be.
Sabrina Sidhu, senior, is Editor-in-Chief of the TALON yearbook. This is her fourth year on staff, and over the years she has been both a reporter and...