Photo credit: Flickr CC user yatpay
“But what we found out is that each one of us is a brain…and an athlete…and a basket case…a princess…and a criminal…” – The Breakfast Club
When it comes to portraying teenagers on the big screen, it would seem like Hollywood has to fit everyone nicely into a category or box. You’re either a jock, a mean girl, a burn out, or a nerd, and there’s no room to cross-file or mix with other groups (unless a wild party goes down and all clichés are forgotten for one night).
It’s a classic movie device that has been used for decades, but does it really capture your authentic high school experience? You and I both know that’s not the case at all. We’re so much more than one label. What about that friend who’s a cheerleader and valedictorian? Where is that represented in a movie? Or the math genius who was also in a rock band? I would love to see that story played out.
My point is, who you are (and how you’re labeled) during these four years of high school do not fully capture who you really are. The truth is, you’re the one in control of your own destiny when it comes to how people view you, despite what blockbuster movies might want you to think.
During this time, you’re not only growing from a young teenager into a legal adult, but you’re also growing internally. You’ll form friendships, join sports teams, figure out where you want to go to college, potentially fall in love for the first time, and have your heart broken all before you walk across the graduation stage. So how the heck do you capture all the aspects of your awesome personality in one place? How do you make people realize how much you bring to the table?
One way to stand out from the pack and show your personality is by crafting the perfect yearbook quote. No pressure!
Senior quotes are a rite of passage and there are so many routes you can take when it comes to creating one. Do you want be the prankster, who comes up with a clever way to get an inside joke into the yearbook (and on a Buzzfeed list) or are you all about inspirational quotes? Do you want to make shout-out to friends and family or channel your favorite author? These two or three lines under your picture can be harder to come up with than you think.
So what’s the key to coming up with the perfect quote?
I’ll let you in on a little secret: There really isn’t one. Just be yourself and all the other stuff will fall into place. Write what makes you happy or share something that has inspired your journey so far in life. When you really break it down, your quote is really a time capsule just for you. It will be you who opens up this tome of memories in 10, 20, or 30 years down the line and it will be you who reads the quote and sees how far you’ve come since your school days.
