In life we follow a road and this road is often referred to as our path. There are different turns and curves along this road and sometimes there are unexpected bumps and holes. All of our roads are different but what they all have in common is that they are very uncertain, and always changing. Sometimes your road can be paved perfectly with gold, other times with hard brick that causes scars when you trip or fall, sometimes it’s as bumpy as a dirt road, or, as squishy and soft as a playground’s turf. 

As we follow this road we will all see different things and meet different people. You might see waves crashing along a shoreline or beautiful leaves that change color during autumn. You will meet all kinds of people, some that will impact your life gravely and others that may cause your road to take a direct and unexpected turn, but none of this truly matters… what matters is how you impact or change your road or other roads that you may find along the way. 

Sometimes, like I said before… there are bumps and holes in our path. These things are not people, even though they can be influenced by people… these are things like drugs, alcohol, and even self harm. These things can take someone on an unexpected turn or bring them to an immediate stop. These things can easily become reality even if your road is paved with perfect gold or squishy turf, and they can also be prevented even if your road is dirt or brick and full of rocks. The important thing is that we look out for these things, because personally I can name many people who have ruined their lives because of them. 

What I want to know is that if you saw this in someone's path before they noticed it, are you willing to remove that rock or to fill in that hole so that they don’t get hurt? Are you willing to actually do something to help someone? Or, are you just going to stand there and watch them struggle and watch millions of other people struggle with the same problem.

As an aspiring journalist with a love for history, I hope that one day I can preserve history for others. I hope that people from a hundred years from now can read my writing to know what it was like when I lived and to know the people who impacted and made a difference during this time. My only worry is that people will be reading about teenagers overdosing on drugs in high school, or girls getting raped, and children committing suicide because no one will help them. As an aspiring journalist I know that eventually I will have to write about these things, but, I would rather write about the people who saved these kid’s lives or the people who overcame it on their own. Nobody wants to face the facts and not many others are willing to make a difference but I am. I am ready for change I am ready to see how we will overcame the struggles of opioid abuse, human trafficking, and bullying. I am ready to be apart of as well as witness the changes that our generation has the power to bring. More importantly I am ready to write about it.