Let’s face the facts: Disney movies will always be a guilty pleasure, the moon is not made of cheese, and humans, to a fault, are gluttonous.
We all are. In fact, most of us have been reminded of our wasteful nature since childhood.
As teenagers, we’ve overheard the whole “there are kids starving in (insert foreign third-world country here)” spiel to the point where it’s almost meaningless. Adults are constantly telling us how we don’t appreciate what we’re given and when they do, we roll our eyes and walk away, not even giving the full meal we just threw away another thought. But is that okay?
With Thanksgiving rapidly approaching, we should be asking ourselves an important question: Do we appreciate our lives enough?
If we’re going to look at the mentality of the majority of people living in America, then this article would be about how we all take our houses, food, limbs, etc., for granted and how we all need to be happy that we have the basic necessities for life and blah blah blah…
But I’m not talking about everyone -- I’m talking about us.
You know who you are: The ones who complain about how boring and horrible Libertyville is and how school is akin to spending time in Alcatraz. We’ve all been there; we’ve all said it. Whether out of a moment of anger or during a breakdown while studying for finals, the thought has crossed our minds and we have genuinely felt sorry for ourselves. No, it’s not necessarily the worst crime in the world. We’re teenagers and we’re not expected to have all the wisdom and maturity that comes with age. That being said, maybe it’s time we take a look at ourselves and fully realize how naïve we sound.
It’d be an understatement to say we take the feeling of protection Libertyville offers for granted. We expect that this is how life is, that we are somehow entitled to go to school without having to worry that we’ll get attacked in the hallway or threatened on a daily basis. Here at LHS, we don’t give security a second thought because passing the security desk in the morning is a reminder that we are safe. But that’s not how it is for everybody. There are 4,533 public school students in Illinois; 37 of those students were killed by gunfire in 2008, not a single one from LHS (usnews). This is in part due to the overall safety of the town and because LHS has a whole department full of people who work to protect us. A lot of people in this country, let alone in this state, live in fear. We don’t have that. Libertyville is a safe town. You’re bored with how nothing happens here? Hey, move to other parts of Illinois and I guarantee you’ll find more action. It may be crime and serious trouble, but if you don’t like how impervious it is here, be my guest.
School is horrible and there are cliques and gossip in every nook and cranny of the building? Welcome to high school in America. However, unlike most others, Libertyville is a top-ranked high school in the state of Illinois; it was ranked as having the ninth-best ACT score by the Chicago Tribune in 2010. Because you spend eight hours a day in this “prison,” you’ll have a better shot at getting into the college of your choice since colleges are impressed by LHS’s reputation. Because of that same reputation, if you’re an athlete here, you will get attention from colleges and the press. If you’re on the football team and win a big game, you will be revered for days because LHS makes sure that you are important, not only in this school, but in this town.
By being in Libertyville, you have opportunities and a head start that teenagers at less reputable schools aren’t offered. For example, LHS gives us the chance to travel to foreign countries to play music or sing. That’s a life-changing experience that LHS does not have to provide. A school is responsible for educating the kids who are sent there. Sending those same kids - who may not even be top students or extracurricular deities -- to Europe is not a requirement. In fact, I’d even go so far as to say that it’s above and beyond the call of duty.
It turns out your parents made a pretty smart move by putting you in this environment.
Am I saying that we’re all terrible people and so much worse than everyone else our age who has the utmost gratitude for their school and town? No, not in the least. This town is full of great people who contribute a great deal to make things as outstanding as they are. I just think, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, that we should take a look around and realize how truly lucky we are.
So, at Thanksgiving dinner when everyone is taking turns saying what they’re thankful for, maybe throw a little shout out to LHS and the great town it’s located in.