I’ve been into musical instruments for what feels like all of my life, but fifth grade is when I really fell in love with it.
The summer before fifth grade, I knew what was coming that next school year: band. My cousin, who was a few years ahead of me, told so many stories and how much she loved band and wished I would do it, too. So, that summer before fifth grade, I was ecstatic to join band. I wanted to play the flute, and so, I did.
This is now my junior year of high school and I still play the flute. I don’t enjoy it as much as I used to anymore. Instead of feeling fun, it has become to feel more like a chore, and I dread it everyday. I started falling out of love with band in 7th grade, when I started to explore a new hobby: colorguard. At my school, we have colorguard at two levels: Middle School and High School. So I began to do middle school colorguard and, starting my freshman year, I began doing highschool colorguard (aka marching band colorguard).
That freshman year, I knew I had found my passion. I still love colorguard to this day. I’ve made so many new friends and so many opportunities have opened up to me. But next year, it’s all going to go away. I’m excited to graduate but so sad to leave colorguard behind. I’ve literally cried for months just thinking about it. I don’t want to leave my younger friends behind; they’ve kind of became my children in a way.
But the thing with growing up is moving on, and I know I will find new things to become interested in. However, none of them will ever match my girlhood love for marching band.
-Anonymous
Memories of Girlhood submission