June 24, 2016 by Hannah
Worth It
It’s finally the time in the summer that I find myself eagerly anticipating and fearing a little bit. Marching band at Metamora High School is in full swing, and in the midst of songs to memorize and hours of perfecting marching technique, it can be hard to remember why I enjoy marching band in the first place. Sometimes I have to take a minute to remind myself why it’s all worth it.
The first day of Boot Camp for marching band, our band director told all of us that it was not going to be fun. It was a lot of marching for hours back and forth across the field behind our school and playing the same exercises and songs until they were so ingrained into our minds and hands that we could play them in our sleep. It’s true that when I think about what I love when it comes to Marching Band, Boot Camp is not something that comes immediately to mind. But there are a lot of other things that do come to mind.
When I think about what I love about Marching Band, I think about long trips on the bus, laughing and joking with the friends that I’ve made there. I think about finally mastering a certain measure or section of a difficult piece. I think about watching other bands perform, knowing the hard work and determination that goes into making those shows happen. The week of band camp at a college campus also comes to mind, along with all of the crazy fun times that we have there.
Marching band isn’t a lot of fun right now, but it helps to know that it will get better over time. I know that all of the pain and frustration will amount to something, and help us create an amazing performance that we will be proud to show other people. This same concept seems to be true for a lot of other things in life.
In high school, grades are something that I continually struggle to uphold. Sometimes, when I’m studying or trying to get through a difficult math problem, it can be hard to see far enough into the future to understand that it will all be worth it eventually. But, there’s almost nothing that can compare to the feeling of finally bumping up my math grade from a B+ to an A-. Even though it was hard, the feeling of accomplishment that I get makes all the struggle worth it.
This same idea could apply to countless other scenarios in life. Almost everyone has some dream that they want to fulfill, but aren’t sure if they will. People want to run a marathon or start a business or write a book, and it might seem unachievable sometimes. But always remember that any dream is possible as long as you are willing to put in the hard work to make it happen.
Good things in life don’t always come easy. Sometimes it takes some sweat, blood, and tears to reach the outcome that we’re hoping for, but that doesn’t mean that we should give up when it gets hard. On the contrary, when things get difficult, that’s when we have to buckle down and keep working, always keeping in mind that eventually, all of the struggle will be worth it. See you next week!
“Reprinted from Hagel Publications, Inc. dba as Courier Newspapers”