Editors discuss what changed their lives
Sydney Gard
Scoliosis has been a huge part of who I am for a long time. In middle school, I wore a painful, tight plastic back brace. It was supposed to stop my back from getting worse while I was still growing, but my x-rays kept getting worse. I stopped wearing it before high school and hoped for the best.
I avoided thinking about my back for my freshman and sophomore years, but had to go back get x-rays the summer before 11th grade. I had awful back pain that started when I wore the brace
but became impossible to ignore. I discovered my spine, which was shaped like an S, had developed a curve of slightly over 50 degrees. It wasn’t an easy decision, but with my surgeon’s recommendation, I decided to have surgery the next summer.
The nine months between planning my surgery and actually having it were awful. I cried myself to sleep most nights and had nightmares that still freak me out. I had the support of everyone in my life, but every day was hard. I was so scared.
Finally, I had my surgery on May 27. I was in surgery for nine hours and the hospital for five days. They made me walk around the hall and even up stairs before I could go home, but every step I took sent shooting pains up my spine. I also had problems lifting my right leg and spent most of my time sleeping.
When I got home, I couldn’t even eat by myself. I had to be rotat- ed at night and given medication every couple hours, as well as take walks every day. I made it to the bottom of my driveway, then to the end of my street and finally, weeks later, around my block.
Now, I feel like a new person. I no longer look weirdly asymetrical and my back pain is essentially gone. My right leg is at 100% and, while most of my back is totally numb, the feeling might still come back.
There are many things that have changed my life, but I’d be lying if I said scoliosis wasn’t the biggest. Surgery was simultaneously humbling and empowering, and I was so lucky to have friends and family with me every step of the way. It was a long, painful journey, but now, two rods and 20 screws later, I’m healthy and
strong. The worrying wasn’t worth it, and I don’t think it ever is. I’m so ready to go to college next year with a straighter spine and new sense of who I am and what I can achieve.
Trenna Soderling
Theater kids are notorious for a variety of things, whether it be the dramatic nature of some, the slight strangeness or the constant singing. While I do admit that all of these are probably true, theater has an additional meaning for me. I’ve been stumbling over the stage since I was six, and not only have I learned how to memorize lines and dances and lyrics, I’ve also learned a variety of lessons.
1. “Yes, and” is an improv phrase to embrace what someone else has said or done and then build off of it. Saying “yes, and” when you’re faced with an obstacle is a reminder to take every day as it comes, and then change it for the better.
2. From the “Little Mermaid,” I learned that “positoovity” is an important step to overcoming challenges. In the face of what seems impossible, a positive attitude (and a dance number) can drastically change the outcome of the situation.
3. “Oliver!” taught me “you’ve got to pick a pocket or two.” On second thought, maybe this isn’t the best advice.
4. “Hamilton” showed me I cannot throw away my shot. You’re given one life, and you’ve got to make the best of it.
5. “The Book of Mormon” taught me to “Man Up.” Sometimes you just have to, even though it sucks.
6. I learned “rain will make the flowers grow” after seeing (and reading) “Les Miserables.” Difficulty and sadness are a reality, and so many times it’s hard to understand what we could possibly gain from our challenges. Wish for the best, but grow from the tough times.
7. “Kinky Boots” showed me “you change the world when you change your mind.” Opinions are hard to change, but it’s important to greet the world with an open mind.
8. “Into the Woods” promised me “no one is alone.” It may be hard to find the person who understands what you’re dealing with or who gets your humor or who is willing to listen to broadway soundtracks 24/7, but there’s always someone.
9. I learned “anything can happen if you let it” from “Mary Pop- pins.” Don’t spend too much time trying to engineer your life. Set yourself up for success as best you can, and then let life happen to you.
10. Live theater teaches you (pretty quickly) that the show must go on. The audience has no idea what’s happening behind the curtain, but they expect a good show, so the actors must deliver. Life is so similar. The world doesn’t know what’s happening to you, but it continues to spin. And so must you.
Of course, I’ve learned much more that I can’t put into words. Growing up in theaters teaches you a multitude of lessons (and superstitions) you can’t learn anywhere else. Although I may have embarrassed myself in front of lots of audiences, I’ve learned so much from so many amazing people and shows, and I can’t wait to see what theater will teach me next.
