This school year was unlike others. It began in another way. On the first of September, as all final year students do, we were asked to ‘give a hand’ to little children and lead them towards their first long-lasting and challenging journey. We led them through the school entrance doors. That was strange, but looking at those  small faces I caught myself thinking that only 10 years ago I was in their place. Hoping, dreaming, expecting and predicting my future 10 years at school and outside of it.

Apparently, things look different from what they seemed those days. What looked endless, at first sight, appeared to be as fast as speed of light. They evolved at immense speed… and influenced our lives. In my personal opinion, our childhood was stereotypeless in comparison with the childhood of this "new generation”. As a result, we had more freedom and spontaneity. These qualities are the wisdom of childhood years, I suppose. I don’t want my words to sound like they are being said by someone old. However, little thought did I give to the size of my future house, presence of a house keeper and level of my husband’s salary if I fell in love with a boy in primary school. Nowadays, a girlfriend of my little cousin gave him a complete list of what-to-buy and what-to-have in case they get married. Even at 9 they know what they want to have when they get married! Undoubtedly, it’s good, but anyway I think that at this age values must be simpler and purer. There should be a tiny place for uncertainty, as, anyhow, the times change. 

As for teenagers, we also face the problem of taking significant decisions. I’m at a crossroads now. In my future life I’ll follow the way that will be chosen now. It’s a crucial moment. Everyone faces challenges in life. It’s a matter of how you learn to overcome and use them to your advantage. So, as usual, the flight of thought led me somewhere, but I do hope that this ‘somewhere’ was quite logical.

 I would like to finish with the words of  an outstanding person Steve Jobs, whose principles and life experience stood him in good stead. I think that this quotation contains the idea of my whole writing. "Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions draw out your own inner voice. And most importantly, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” So to cut a long story short and look back at these children, what I wanted to say is that we have to live OUR lives. It shouldn’t be influenced by spirit of the times. We Must have our own firm principles.