“We didn’t know we were making memories, we just knew we were having fun”
“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”
-Winnie the Pooh
-Ferris Bueller
The best advice I ever received was from Ferris Bueller himself. “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” I mentioned it in my last post, because it means a lot to me. The first time I ever watched Ferris Bueller’s’ Day Off was only when I was in 7th grade. My sister and I sat on our beanbags while it played on our upstairs tv. I loved the movie, but was surprised at the end. After his dream skip day, he finally lays down in bed and breaks the 4th wall to tell the viewer that advice. Before hearing that quote, I never really took any advice to heart. My family would tell me things I should do and shouldn’t do, but I usually brushed it off simply as adult talk. This specific quote stuck with me and left me asking myself what he really meant. Being in 7th grade, it was hard for me to grasp the concept, because I just had not experienced enough of life to understand it. I think around the beginning of freshman year, I started to notice what he might have been talking about. Whenever someone would say something along the lines of “enjoy it while it lasts,” it would always make me stop and remember this Ferris Bueller quote.
Once I finally had an understanding of this advice, I am really thankful that I heard it. Throughout high school, I feel that it helped me to form a habit of mindfulness. I enjoyed the time I spent with my friends more, enjoyed the fact that I didn’t need to work yet, and enjoyed more of the simple things in life. I was able to appreciate them more than other people my age can. Another quote that’s related and helped me is from Winnie the Pooh, “We didn’t know we were making memories, we just knew we were having fun.” My mom told me it was her favorite quote, and it reminded me of the Ferris Bueller quote. They are both very similar, and helped me to cherish my time as a kid and to avoid regret. By being more present and attentive, it reminded me to slow down and appreciate the present. Humans are most happy when they live in the moment. These two quotes helped me to do so. They both highlight the fleeting nature of life, and those great moments in life pass by us quickly. If you are constantly focused on the future or lost in your routines, you might miss out on the world around you. These two quotes have led me to be a happier person and also reflect on my experiences.