You know, I never quite understood why Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, the way time’s passing depends on one’s perspective, would be so unbelievable. Granted, his mathematical proof is confusing, but don’t you know the feeling of looking at the clock and being shocked that it’s moving so slowly? Or the opposite experience, when it seems like no time at all has passed but it turns out you’ve spent an entire afternoon lost in thought? Of course time is relative.

I’m feeling sharply reminded of the theory and reality of relative time as the temperature and leaves both drop outside the window.

I could swear that only yesterday it was May with the end of school approaching, or June and I was delight- ed to have sunshine and no summer homework for the first time in four years, or July with the fireflies out at night, flickering lazily over the grass. Even the beginning of August, when the heat was reaching ridiculous levels and the grass was turning brown and sere.

But instead, it’s the week before school starts, and I’m a little bit scared.

Time is relative, yes, but could it maybe try being relatively slow?

In nine months, I’ll – hopefully – be walking across the stage with a cap and gown. After that, who knows? Definitely not me. Nine months seems huge and insurmountable from this side, but looking at how fast the past three years have seemed to go by … urk.

And scientifically speaking, every day that goes by will seem shorter and shorter, because each is a smaller and smaller fraction of a life. Rather frustrating, since passing time is supposed to make one realize the virtues of living every day as it comes. So even if one wants to make the most out of each day in the upcoming year, logic is working against them.

Darn logic, always ruining everything.

I can’t even be sure that I want the upcoming year to go by slowly. I’m looking forward to getting around the “go sit at the kid’s table” mentality that seems to permeate our society – the way I’m assumed incapable of holding a mature, serious conversation because I haven’t hit 18 yet. And even though I’ve seen and heard many people refer to high school as “the best years of your life,” well …

No offense to those people, but I am sincerely hoping that you’re wrong. The idea that it’s all downhill from here is not a comfortable one.

This year, and the rest of my life, is going to go by at its own pace, however erratic that pace may be. I’m sure there will be plenty of dragged-out classes and weekends that whoosh by, as well as quite a lot of in-between.

To be completely honest, the way Einstein explains his thinking does go a bit over my head. The day-to-day proof of time’s ebbing and flowing, however, is pretty much undeniably in my face .— Nina Collay is a student at Thornton Academy, Class of 2017, who can frequently be found listening to music, reading, wrestling with a heavy cello case, or poking at the keyboard of an uncooperative laptop.