by Delayne Terra Buranek

Created on: March 16, 2009

My senior year in high school I was at the top of the world. I had been chosen as drum major, a high honor and leadership role in marching band. Three of us shared that responsibility, from directing practices to waving our arms and directing the band on the field at football half-time shows. I was admired by my peers and respected by their parents and teachers. It was made more of an achievement by the low I experienced as a freshman when my best friend stole my boyfriends and all my friends abandoned me. Yes, my senior year was going to be great!

I had already earned my letterman jacket before I was even a senior. But by the time I was on top I had made them extremely popular with all the non-popular kids. When you'd see a student in hall wearing theirs you were more likely to see an instrument embroidered on their front under their name than a football or other sport symbol. I had a saxophone on mine, as well as extra pins from band and choir.

As a person in a position of power I also held a lot of responsibility. It brought out the mother hen in me. I paid extra attention to those younger girls who I saw exhibiting the signs of low self esteem that I had suffered during my earlier high school years. That can weigh on a person more than one might think. Imagine the horror I felt when during an after school activity I got slammed into by another vehicle on the way to the bowling alley with three freshman girls in my car. Even thought it wasn't any school sponsored event, they were my responsibility, more than just the fact that they were riding in my vehicle. It wasn't my fault though. I couldn't help the fact that some other high school kid decided to pass me while I was making a left hand turn.

Marching band lasted only the first semester so that next semester I relaxed a little more. But that didn't keep me from feeling bad occasionally. I had a male friend that I'd known for a long time as our parents had worked together during our younger years. We'd promised to go to prom together if we hadn't found dates by then. We really hadn't expected to. But when I did, he scrambled to find one himself. I was asked via a scavenger hunt, following clues until I got to the final one. Our whole group was there. The boys disco danced to YMCA starting a trend that finally filed up the previously empty dance floor. We also managed to get a prom photo with all of us in it.

Graduation was the most exciting event. It was finally over and we all could get on with our lives to be the people we were meant to. Some of us were headed off to college and a few were left scratching their heads, planning to work until they figured out what they wanted to be. The three drum majors in a symbolic gesture gave our final goodbyes with the band by directing one last song. Then they finally called my name. High school was finally over and my life was just beginning.

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