Strikes and Gutters, Ups and Downs: A Senior Quote by K

Strikes and Gutters, Ups and Downs: A Senior Quote by K - November 2018 Scholarship Essay

Yearbook quotes are meant to be a stamp in time -- a senior’s last mark on their last four years of compulsory education. They can be inside jokes or pop culture references, funny, sentimental, a little sly, or even gibberish. As it is 2018, and I am a senior, I will be deciding my senior quote in the upcoming months, and I turn to the great American classic for inspiration: The Big Lebowski.
Jeffrey “The Dude” Lebowski (also known as His Dudeness, Duder, or El Duderino if you’re not into the whole brevity thing) is a laid-back, go-with-the-flow guy who gets mistaken for a millionaire with the same real name and becomes involved in a complicated kidnapping scheme with his friend Walter. The Dude is a bowling aficionado and pacifist with a love for White Russian drinks, never really wanting to get involved in anything in the first place but goes along with it anyway. His friend Walter is a temperamental, sometimes outlandish character who has full confidence in his decisions that don’t often turn out well, often advising other people to join in or be shut out.
I can see facets of The Dude in my own life. I don’t subscribe to drama, and I take things one day at a time. No matter what’s thrown at me, I can step back, take a breath, and try to figure out a solution. But I also can feel like Walter, ready to dive in head-first and get the job done, taking on any challenge that comes my way, bulldozing through obstacles.
However, sometimes I may be completely inexperienced, lost, and ready to jump ship. During high school, I felt very confused many times, with no idea of what I was doing or where to go next, often asking people for help but still not really understanding. I’m sure the President of America feels the same way. Donald Trump, having no political experience beforehand, seems to jump into the thick of things, trying to navigate his way around Washington and the world.
So while high school slowly comes to an end, I reflect on my four years with a sense of relief and accomplishment. I overcame challenges, but also knew when to step back and let others take the reins. For this, I think the best way to sum them up (with a nod to current events) is in my senior quote, spoken by Walter Sobchak himself:
“Forget it, Donny, you’re out of your element!”