Stephen, 16

Stephen was all about the ride down hill.

Shirley had just joined wrestling her junior year and Stephen decided that inviting her for a bike ride would be a great way to start a forthcoming relationship. Yet he did not predict that the bicycle accident that had occurred that first day they went on a ride would lead to a series of perpetual bike-riding accidents.

Once they reached the top of the hill, Stephen sped down as fast as he could, achieving the excitement that downhill biking can bring you. But left straggling behind her to-be boyfriend was Shirley.

Stephen’s comfortable thrill ride down was interrupted with a “STEPHENN!” He was too far down to see what had happened, so he stopped where he was and ran back up, only to find that Shirley was stuck in a ditch with scrapes and bruises. The guilt that followed him from her fall was intensified once he found out that those scrapes were soon to become infected.

Despite the experience they had with biking this incident, Stephen invited Shirley for her first time mountain biking, where she again fell down to a painful collapse. This same incident reoccurred up to five more times, and yet even still the couple continues to go bike riding.

Life Observation: Though the incidents themselves do not affect Stephen in a profound manner, he laughs that he hurts Shirley “that way.” The fact that the same accident perpetually took place provides for a funny, while ironic, anecdote for Stephen to reflect back on in future years to come. Overall, it makes one think , what memories will be saved when thinking back to time at High School? What memories have been created with people?

Jeremiah, 15

Nothing can beat the feeling of biking down hill will three or four friends on your trail.

Despite the effort it took to battle gravity and bike uphill to the Malaysian restaurant, Jerry relished every minute of ride. “The best part of being this age right now is because almost every Saturday, me and three or four of my friends go biking around Cupertino,” he said.

If anything in high school has inspired him, it has been the time he spends with his friends. Truly taking the concept of “hanging out” to heart, Jerry savors every moment that passes at a friend’s house or eating Chinese food with them. “I really appreciate being with my friends because I probably won’t be able to do that when I’m older,” he said.

De Anza Blvd. has its own significance to Jerry and his friends. Eating froyo and watching Slumdog Millionaire each has a memory attached to it. And for the bike ride down hill- “It was green lights all the way,” he said.

Life Moral: If we don’t enjoy life now, we won’t enjoy life later. It’s easy to pass over spending time with friends in favor of studying for that big exam, but life speeds by faster than you think and your friends will soon turn into acquantinces and then into “people I went to high school with.” Truly being able to appreciate the moment is a treasure.