I Wonder

Maya Lawrence Year 9

I wonder what it’s like to be a leaf. Yes, it’s an odd statement, but stay with me here. Imagine glowing green in summer sunrays or maroon in late autumn. Having so little control, and so
little stress. Being part of something bigger than yourself, something strong and beautiful. And then eventually letting go, simply going off with the wind. Maybe we are like leaves, just tiny
parts of the bigger wider world around us. Sometimes it feels like that, doesn’t it. Like we’re just doing our part before eventually being blown away.
I wonder what it’s like to be a politician. People who started their work so they could make a change. I wonder what it feels like to have that much power. Maybe in our societal tree, they’re the branches. But wait, they can’t be. They still need everyone’s vote to pass a bill, still need people to help promote them, and can still lose their job if the public decides not to vote for them. So, I guess they are leaves too.

But there must be a flaw because then who are the branches and trunk? I wonder who really has the most power? Who’s life and decisions
matter the most? But the answer is simple. No one. Is this world you have as much power as everyone else.
I wonder, most of all, how you ended up where are now. In your job, in your house with the faulty tap but beautiful mountain view, your car with a podcast about finances
playing and a too-hot-to-drink coffee in your cup holder along with crumbs that came from who-knows-where, at the pool watching your kids splash away with the best friend they
just met but inevitably won’t ever see again? I wonder what little everyday decisions we made to get to this point. And if all of those seemingly insignificant choices lead to here,
what small decisions can we make to get ourselves to the place we want to end up?
Because, in the end, it’s our life. And one day the wind is gonna be too strong. So I say make that little change.

Play with your kids for an extra five minutes, use that spare time to start that crochet project instead of extra work, send in that resignation letter you’ve been worrying about.

Because there won’t ever be another today, there won’t ever be another you. And when the time comes, I
hope we can all say we have little regrets.

I wonder, if people start living for themselves, how beautiful our tree will become.