Bidding Adieu-The Beginning of Mama Marissa

"If you say that one more time I'm gonna slug you. I'll slug you anytime you say that."

"Mama Marissa."

*slugs Jake in the arm as hard as I can*

I was pretty sure I had life figured out by the time I got to my senior year. Boy was I wrong. I think too many times we look at high school in one of two ways:

1. You don't look back at it

2. You look back at it too much

I didn't want to be either one of those scenarios. So here I am, writing a blog post about it. (Please don't hate me.) 

To those in high school: (especially you seniors!)
-Get involved
-Be friends with everybody
-Remember everyone's names (I'm pretty sure Carson and Cameron truly understand how hard that is for me to do)
-Be happy (they always say that attitude is everything--they is right)
-Learn a little--challenge yourself, and save yourself some money by taking concurrent enrollment classes
-Maybe skip class once...ya know just to try it out...I did it once. ONCE. I'm not that rebellious friends
-Enjoy those stupid little things--like when squad talks in a circle before school starts or getting fries every Friday night
-Live in high school, don't live in high school--skip the drama llamas and gosh darn it live your life!
-Post lots of pictures--it annoys people, you get an excuse to take pictures, and put funny captions because honestly you're hilarious

Senior Year: The Balancing Act

Guys I swear I'm the worst at balancing things. Especially life! (Haha college is going to be interestinnngggg ;))

I actually really loved my high school experience...okay guys it was high school. Far from perfect, but you make the best of going to a school surrounded by farmland and some (quite hilarious) cowboys. It was awesome.

By my senior year I felt like I really had things figured out...well sorta. I loved my senior year and wouldn't have traded a thing! I took a few college classes, was an editor and web designer of the school newspaper, and was vice-president of Seminary Council. Man what a year!

I think something we all tend to struggle with is finding ourselves in whatever area we are at in our lives. I remember crying to my mom in elementary, junior high, and high school because I was so lost at finding (or rather remembering) who I was. I don't doubt that it'll happen for many times to come, but like they say, "comparison is the thief of joy." I found this year that the only person I want to compare myself to is the person I was yesterday.

Senior year really taught me how to be happy now and how to make life happy for the future. High school is such a short time in life, and I found myself looking too far back in the past that I wasn't enjoying the little moments in between and in the present.

So all and all, be happy. Be happy now! Because life is sure as heck crazy, busy, draining, laughable, and fun. But if you aren't happy because you're comparing yourself or looking to the past, then you're forgetting that this life is a Plan of Happiness! 

Mama Ooooo!

It's kinda crazy. Them Seminary Council kids. My kids. Alright they aren't kids...but it pretty much started that I became "Mama Marissa" because of them. Man I miss them. Mama Marissa begun when I was being my Marissa self and being (rather bossy--don't tell my brothers I said that) and one of the council members said, "You're acting like our mom." Then I made the mistake of telling them my brothers used to call me "Mini Mom." And thus Mama Marissa was born. (Just kidding guys, I was already born, the nickname came to be) 

Honestly, at first it drove me BONKERS. (Thus the beginning of this post.) But time went on, and the nickname wore on me, and here I am. Mama Marissa.

It's kind of funny actually. My Paw Print staff started calling me it, and when we had assemblies in Seminary, students would call me it--I didn't even know their names! (This is why it's important you know everybody's name!) Eventually people in the hallway started calling me it! Honest to truth, it makes me happy. I love it.

There's something about nicknames that just get to me. (But that's another post for another day.) That weird nickname of Mama Marissa really helped me to know that even if I was totally and completely stumbling through life itself, it made me feel about 100000 times better knowing that I was known for being Mama Marissa.

Adios Amigo!

Although I'm bidding adieu to that thing called high school, I certainly can't bid adieu to that name (or rather calling) Mama Marissa. It was a great ending to my high school career, and I can't really put into words how the past 3 years of my life impacted me. Cheesy to say, and I'll honestly probably be joking and teasing about it all tomorrow. See ya high school, you can keep the crowded hallways and copious amounts of saying "It's a Great Day to be a Silverwolf," but I'll still keep being Mama Marissa. *peace sign*

Until the next post,

Mama Marissa

Onto adulthood!
(Yes, this was a year ago when I thought I was really cool. Yes, I should have made this look cooler. Yes, yes, those are Pringles socks.)