Calling It Quits

What do you not regret quitting?

Why quitting isn’t always a bad idea. CALLING IT QUITS 10 | THE HUMAN CONNECTION

Senior Matthias Miller on quitting orchestra “I quit orchestra for a semester, but then it allowed me to reassess what my goals were with it and what it meant in my life and then I was able to come back. It just allowed me to... enjoy it the last semester of high school.”

Sophomore Jackson Underwood on quitting tennis “I quit because I... had come to a place where I wasn’t comfortable competing, but I also just felt like I was doing the same thing everyday and I wasn’t improving... Now I just do theater all the time.”

Junior Sadie Holloway on quitting choir “I had been in choir since... 5th grade... There [were] expectations that I would keep going... All my friends had quit... There [wasn’t] really much for me to be in [there] for anymore... It wasn’t really adding to my singing abilities.”

Science teacher J.J. Wannamaker on quitting football “I found that football was probably not the right fit for me and wanted to explore cross country... I wasn’t really contributing and I felt I could contribute better to the cross country program... It was a hard decision, but no one gave me a hard time... The football coach... was probably one of my biggest supporters.”

By Ansley Chambers Opinion Editor & Copy Editor “N ever give up.”

“Don’t let one bad day break you.”

We hear these cheesy, inspirational sayings everywhere we go. But sometimes the best thing to do is quit.

Don’t get me wrong, turning away at the thought of potential challenge is no way to live your life. It is good to push yourself and test your limits; that’s how we grow. One bad day should not make you throw in the towel, but one bad day after a series of bad days can sometimes be a sign that enough is enough.

Some of us tend to push ourselves too far. We reach the level where we can’t go any further without making ourselves question our worth – a breaking point. This can be seen in many ways. For some it’s an unhealthy relationship, a sport you no longer enjoy or less than adequate conditions for working, living, etc. No matter what it is for you, it’s the thing you always find yourself complaining about to your friends; it weighs on you.

But it’s not always so easy to see. It’s often something you love or once loved. If it was something you never enjoyed, you probably wouldn’t have continued with it – unless it’s something required such as school (which you should not quit as it is required for a reason). But when you find yourself in a relationship – whether it be romantic, with a part of your lifestyle or otherwise – that is continually causing physical, emotional or mental pain, it could be time to reconsider.

If your friends seem to be constantly questioning you about it, they probably have perspective that you struggle to see. This is not to say that you should always listen to your friends who are also just high school students trying to find their way and possess no more wisdom than you, but sometimes listening to their opinions isn’t a bad idea. For example: if you are dating someone who puts a lot of stress or pain on you, but you still love them – or at least think you do – and your friends are telling you that you can do better or that they are no longer worth it, listening to them may not be the worst option.

When you are in love (with a person, object, etc.) you tend to be blind to any faults of the person or thing that you love. To those who have not dedicated so much time and love to what you have, it may seem obvious that you’re in an abusive relationship or that you’re giving away too much of yourself. But to you, it can be very hard to overlook your history with this person or thing. Although you should still respect previous time that you have given, it is important to not live in the past. There is nothing wrong with saying, “I’ve loved going to practice with all my friends over the past several years,” unless practice has been a dread for past few months and you won’t allow yourself to see that you no longer love it or benefit from it and it only upsets you.

While it’s easier said than done to quit something that you’ve given so much to, it is good to check in with yourself and evaluate if every part of your life really is good for you. There should be no shame in leaving a toxic relationship or quitting something that only brings you pain.

Sophomore Lainey Pace on quitting cheer “T he whole reason I did cheer was because my mom got me into it since my older sister is into it... I didn’t really want to be in it anymore because I didn’t really like the environment... I have more time to hang out with friends and... catch up on homework.” Sophomore Hank Salsbury on quitting soccer “I t sucked to quit, but I knew I was going to cross country and that would be better for me... I just didn’t feel valued.”