The beginning of the end.

Not long ago, simple sentences taken from simple pages of elementary books such as Where the Wild Things Are and The Very Hungry Caterpillar flowed through a whisper phone and into your small ear. You had no cares in the world. Soon enough, you were scribbling down answers as quickly as possible, rushing to finish the multiplication tests. You could never remember 12 times 12. Next, reading “Hatchet,” a classic 5th-grade novel that brought genuine terror of plane rides and the Canadian wilderness. But you liked it. Junior High was like nothing you’d ever experienced. There were sports tryouts and challenging classes and at least one of your friends got a boyfriend. Not that the relationship lasted long. High school though, was like a blank canvas waiting to be painted on. New opportunities, new friends, and new ideas for your future. Freshman year, you were nervous and blissfully ignorant. Sophomore year was your taste of freedom. The big one six and a driver’s license. It finally seemed like things were falling into place. 

The present. You’re in your junior year of high school.

If you are like me, you have about a million extracurriculars to stress about, some really exhausting AP classes, and a pretty healthy social life. Maintaining a crystal-clear reputation is what you do. From a distance, you seem like the picture-perfect high school student with no troubles or fears for the future. But, you can’t help but feel the possibility of failure. Twelve years of stability in the same town doing the same things with the same people and it will all be gone with the toss of a cap. It really is time for the real world. This is moving on. This is your own life. This is the end of the beginning.

Now the time has come for a major decision. Will you be a butterfly or a moth? In nature, moths are often ignored, zapped away by an electric front porch bug killer while butterflies attract the human eye through stunning colors and grace. Every growing caterpillar wants to be a butterfly. Striving for success and beauty. Spending life in vibrant fields of flowers, soaked by rays of the glowing sun. Being admired by anyone who catches a glimpse. But, success can look different for everyone. Graduating high school, attending a four-year university, and obtaining your dream job right off the bat isn’t how everyone achieves success. There are about 17,500 different species of butterflies in the world. All are still beautiful in their own way the same as one is successful in their own actions.

Ornithoptera alexandrae, or the Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing butterfly, is the largest butterfly species in the world with a wingspan of 11 inches. That’s 10 times the average butterfly’s wingspan. Facing endangerment after having been reduced by deforestation for timber and oil, these butterflies are now so rare that collectors are willing to pay upward of $8,000 to $10,000 for one. Being named after a queen and being worth a pretty penny, these creatures are truly unique. On the opposite end of the scale, the Western Pygmy Blue, or Brephidium exilis, is the smallest butterfly in the world. This itty-bitty insect measures about .87 inches in total being slightly smaller than a quarter. Butterflies whose size is truly minuscule, such as these, evolved to be able to pollinate the smallest flowers while larger butterflies evolved to pollinate the fullest flowers. 

On the scale of prosperity in society, most would put big names such as Bill Gates or the Kardashians on top because of their large net worths and vast influence. While being valued so highly through a large paycheck or significant accomplishment appears like the epitome of success, sometimes the little man still comes out on top. Finding true love, starting a family, or helping others who are struggling are all forms of success. Pop stars, billion-dollar businessmen, and actors just experienced a rare success. A rare success that can be compared to the Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing butterfly’s unique and scarce existence. Average people, such as you and I, can still experience the same satisfaction of achievement without a TV show or world tour. Although we focus on smaller areas of our environment like the Western Pygmy Blue, we are still pollinating a flower of success that will bloom with beauty. 

Despite the alluring life of a butterfly, some people will always be moths, stuck in one place forever drawn to the incandescent glow of a singular light. For those who become a moth, this light could be a struggle with addiction, lack of motivation, or the idea of failure while aspiring for achievement. 18 years old seems early to make life-altering decisions, but it’s not. Critical parts of the brain involved in decision-making aren’t fully developed until age 25. So, most poor calls in judgment are made during adolescence. A teen’s peer relationships, along with the development of the brain, might lead teens to take more risks because the social benefits outweigh the possible consequences of a decision.

 At 18 years old, my sister was enrolled for the fall semester at a college in Louisiana. She had won multiple scholarships in high school through choir and played for the girls’ golf team. When the semester was set to begin, other students were moving into their dorms and exploring the campus. She didn’t show up. Instead, she left home and moved in with her boyfriend. This was the beginning of a 17-year spiral into the use of methamphetamines, heroin, and other illegal substances. Years, my mom spent expecting a knock at the door from an officer. “We regret to inform you that your daughter has passed from an overdose,” they would say. Thankfully, this knock never came. But, one choice still led to the threatening glow of a singular light.

As a young caterpillar, there is no defining feature that will distinguish you from a butterfly or moth. Having colored stripes, a fuzzy body, or little spikes doesn’t make any difference. Being full of admiration and the opportunity to flourish, you have an infinite number of outcomes that could become your future. Whether you become a rarity to collectors or find yourself at a porch light with no other intent but to stay there. The choices you make, the people you surround yourself with, and the life you want to lead will all determine the person you are when the chrysalis breaks and you spread your wings. So, with the end of the beginning nearing day by day, keep one question in mind: Will you be a butterfly or a moth?