“Do I really want to go through with this?” Have you ever found yourself asking that question? Well, I sure have. Sometimes in life, there are those moments where you wonder if you will be able to handle the responsibilities that lie ahead of you. For me, these moments come daily, whether it is taking a test, earning money, or juggling schoolwork. Although I find walking around as a high schooler with no care in the world the more fun way to live, I have realized it is not the best way to live. One Saturday afternoon, my family and I were just driving aimlessly for probably about 2 hours, when my dad pulls into a small mall, you know the kind with a few stores in it but not much. I’m thinking, seriously Dad...can we go home, I can think of thousands of things better than this. Little did I realize, we were pulling into a pet store parking lot where a new member would be introduced to our family.
As my dad parked our car in a spot across from Petco, I figured we would wander around the pet store and leave, you know to kill the day. My brother, Nick, and I hopped, literally, out of our tan, Rubicon Jeep, and followed my parents into the store. After a little bit of wandering around, admiring all of the great things from cat food to turtle shells, my dad called us both over. We wandered around the store, which at the time, to me, seemed like a stadium, until we found him near the cats. He is standing alongside my mom, looking at what was a giant wall of cats. Brown, white, black every color possible. As I stared at that giant wall, I began to think, “are we getting a cat”? Thoughts began to race through my mind. Would I be able to handle this? My dad said, “so guys, you like any of these?” My brother, before I could even open my mouth, says YES! I say, I guess so, trying not to ruin my brother’s enthusiasm.

Feeding the cat, washing the cat, taking out the litter, giving it water, combing its hair. All of this responsibility began to push me down like gravity. Would I be able to handle it? Purchasing a cat, it may not be the largest of responsibilities, but if I got that cat, I would be moving on to a more responsible, more serious adult like life. As my dad began to show us the other cats around, it seemed like it may be fun to get one. Would I like it? Later on, after agreeing to get a cat, once again, I thought of this new phase of my life. I realized I was in high school. I realized that the decisions I make can affect my future. I realized this cat would force the transition into a new phase of my life. 

As we checked out, all of this raced through my mind. Now, I knew that there was no turning back. Although the cat did seem like it would be awesome to have, it came with a myriad of strings attached. Me, being the older sibling, would be left with the most responsibility when taking care of this cat. I thought about how I had to feed it and give it water, because it is a living thing, and without this, it would die. With sports, school, family, and friends, having this additional work would be tough. It was at this time where I seriously questioned whether I, as a freshman in high school would be able to handle all of this.

Looking back, now that I am a sophomore, I realize that I have been able to handle this responsibility. This was difficult, and I questioned how I would handle this change, but in the end, I realized it made me mature as a person. Tasks may be difficult or even near impossible, but that does not mean they cannot be accomplished. It is ok to question responsibilities, as well as events in life, having said that, you must do your best in order to push past them and do the best you can.