"It's Not as I Once Dreamed" by Christina Nelson (Franklin County Winner)

As a little girl, I always dreamed of starting high school

Being able to drive

A ton of friends that I would hang out with everyday

I dreamed of becoming many things 

But as I grow up more and more, the less I am excited

I am now in my third year of high school

I have sent out for my license

It's not as I once dreamed it would be

I now have to settle on a career 

And figure out what I want to be

It's not as I once dreamed it would be

Thinking about which colleges to apply to 

Not knowing if I even want to go

Work piling, up falling behind

Stressed out, losing out on opportunities

Shutting out friends

It's not as I once dreamed it would be

This isn’t how I wanted my teenage years to be 

So full of stress

Losing all my friends

The only thing I have to look forward to is getting my license

So I don’t have to rely on others to get around

Maybe then I will have the life I dreamed of as a little girl

But right now

It’s not what I once dreamed my life would be

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Christina Nelson wrote “It’s Not as I Once Dreamed.” She is a junior at Spruce Mountain High School. She wrote about how as you grow up you realize your dreams of how your life should go, don’t always turn out the way you hope. But that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a bad thing. Sometimes the right path isn’t always the path you want to take.