High School shouldn't be the high point

I think alot about today's high schoolers and where they will be in five years. Ten years. Fifteen years.

My greatest fear is that someone of them do not make the most of the opportunities laid out in front of them.

Four years ago, a fantastic athlete had the opportunity to go to Northeast CC from Ethel. They wanted him and offered him a scholarship. He was smart enough to make the grades. Alas, he refuse to leave Attala County and his baseball career was over simply because he didn't want to leave home.

As Paul told me today -- You can always come "home" but sometimes its harder to "leave home."

It's okay to leave home! It's okay to meet new people. It's okay to go out into the world and find out who you really are.

Today, I heard of another recent graduate that was suppose to be headed to college in the fall but has oped out for work. Sure the pay is good but in a world where the economy is not the greatest, blue collar jobs are the first on the chopping block.

Added into the fact that at 45 are you still going to want to be doing back breaking work when your body isn't in the best shape.

My whole point in this is simply -- When you are in your 60s and you look back on your life, high school shouldn't be the "high point" but merely a stepping stone into a whole new realm. Make the most of the present, work toward a future and when all this becomes the past smile and know you did all you could do.