The online student news source of Lovejoy High School

The Red Ledger

The online student news source of Lovejoy High School

The Red Ledger

The online student news source of Lovejoy High School

The Red Ledger

Candied Recollections

TRL’s Sarah Hibberd reflects on her progression through childhood and growing up.
We+dont+say+goodbye+to+it+the+day+we+turn+eighteen+and+become+legalized+as+adults.+We+say+goodbye+as+we+grow+out+of+the+carefree%2C+pure+people+we+used+to+know.
Hannah Gonzalez
“We don’t say goodbye to it the day we turn eighteen and become legalized as adults. We say goodbye as we grow out of the carefree, pure people we used to know.”

As children, adults would always tell us not to grow up too fast. Of course, when you’re nine, twelve or even fifteen, that proposal means nearly nothing to you. However, it’s not because it’s a cliche or a stereotypical “adult saying.” It’s because we don’t understand its significance until we begin to grieve over the time that’s passing. And time is passing. 

Swiftly. Swifter than we realize. 

When we approach adulthood, life comes with obligations. We have a tendency to harden our hearts against the immature, childish experiences we used to love. We end up in a strange phase where we rush to obtain perceived maturity and conceal that vulnerable part of ourselves at the expense of our enjoyment. It becomes natural to replace “Goosebumps” with “American Horror Story” and candy with potato chips. Eventually, trick-or-treating is next to go.


Breaking Away

One of the monumental breaks from childhood is the decision not to trick-or-treat. This commonly couples with the claim, “I’m too old for that kind of thing” or “trick-or-treating is for little kids.” When most people reflect on why they stopped trick-or-treating on Halloween, they inspect the cliche objects and music that come along with it. Hollow-boned plastic skeletons, witches’ hats, jack-o-lanterns, “Monster Mash” by Bobby Pickett playing in the background. In this world, at this age, the stereotypical, manufactured “children’s” Halloween tends to be all people see. If you reach into your heart and all you can find is that fabricated image, I can’t blame you for never wanting to return. However, there is so much more to our annual holiday traditions below the surface. 

Witnessing Halloween night come alive is an experience nearly every family gets to encounter and is miraculous in its own unique way. What most people manage to breeze over is the authenticity of that night. Rather than looking at the objective factors, we should identify Halloween by the subjective factors; the emotions that affect us personally are the ones that matter. The anticipation arising while you step outside with your costume on, the bite of crisp air and shadows of bare trees on the path to a stranger’s porch, and the warmth of home when you return with bags full of chocolate are all models of the underlying charm of Halloween. These sentiments will prevail throughout our lives, but will never compare to when we were young. 


Preservation

Childhood is not a measurement taken by the day. We don’t say goodbye to it the day we turn eighteen and become legalized as adults. We say goodbye as we grow out of the carefree, pure people we used to know. As we become exposed to the world, the fondness and marvel in everyday life that once buzzed through our veins seem to die out. Yet, most teens have an impulse to blow past that untroubled stage, which I can’t reasonably comprehend. Why hurry to mature and grow out of that immature, vulnerable stage? Why race to trade the kindhearted, curious eyes for ones that have endured difficulty and produced resiliency? Consider these questions carefully before permanently closing the door on these experiences. 

I implore you not to rush out of events unique to this period of your life. Preserve these juvenile adventures and maximize your time living in what will soon be a distant past. Rewatch your Halloween family favorites, relish in sugar highs, get out when the night comes alive and choose to go trick-or-treating while it’s still an opportunity. Someday in our years of adulthood, we’ll look back on these candied recollections and wish we could live them one last time. 

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About the Contributors
Sarah Hibberd, Editor-In-Chief
All good things must come to an end, but what about great things? Although she’s approaching the end of her high school career, senior Sarah Hibberd is confident her TRL adventures will last a lifetime. With one year left to make her mark, Sarah returns as an over-optimistic Editor-In-Chief eager to maintain The Red Ledger's multi-award-winning legacy. When out of the newsroom, you may find her in scrubs working towards her pharmacy technician certification, stressing over the application process or gushing over her haircare regimen. Sarah is a proud member of HOSA, the Helping Hands Club, and the National Honor Society. As a victim of the baby fever phenomenon and an aspiring healthcare professional, Sarah will stop at nothing to work with tiny humans in the NICU; she believes in speaking for those who can't speak for themselves. She loves Novo Amor music, smelling candles, making lists and laughing with family. Though fiercely independent, Sarah dreads the thought of leaving home, driving her to make this year one for the books.
Hannah Gonzalez, Graphics Editor
Mama Mia, here we go again. As she takes her last ride in the TRL classroom, Hannah Gonzalez is ready to end this year with a bang. Gonzalez serves as a Co-Graphics editor for the third year in a row and this is her fourth year on staff. When she’s not making killer graphics, you can most likely find Gonzalez on the volleyball court, at FCA meetings, in school or going for a joy ride in the Jeep that she named “Beep.” Although TRL is life, Gonzalez also enjoys going for late-night ice cream runs, watching early morning sunrises, going to church every Sunday morning and going on an occasional lake trip. To add to her list of accomplishments, Gonzalez has won three state championships and is looking for a fourth. With her happy planner by her side, Gonzalez is looking forward to kicking procrastination to the curb as she conquers her final year as a high school student. 

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