Last Days

With school winding down and the upcoming graduation and consequent trek to Nashville consuming all of my thoughts, I constantly find myself wondering--which of my classmates will I still be in touch with next year? What about 5 years from now? Even 10? When I started at Latin in 1997, I was best friends with Michael Tomlin. That remained unchanged for about 5 years, but by middle school Michael and I barely spoke. In middle school I branched out to make friends with new and older kids from both my grade and the cross country team. It was then that I met Eli, Brandon, Meggie, Stewart, Katy, and Hillary--all great friends throughout my middle school years. But now, just 4 years removed from my middle school days, I can really only count Hillary among my best friends. Perhaps the inconsistency stems from my personality, or maybe it's just a natural progression--as kids get older, they grow apart. But if that is true, what's to say that the same won't happen with my friends now? Will I still be in touch with my high school friends when I am contemplating my college graduation? It's scary to even imagine not being friends with Will, Peter, Kellen, or Hillary 4 years down the road. A part of me feels as though I am finally past the most drastic changes in my life, and as a result my friend-base will be more stable for the remainder of my time in school. But even if I do stay on good terms with my best friends of today, isn't it kind of sad that there are at least 70 kids with whom I have spent the better part of 13 years with that I will more than likely never talk to again? I guess high school graduation really does signal the end of an era, for better and for worse.