Aryn Henning Nichols

How do you face fears?

Lula McAbee writes about facing fears and making choices:

My arms cling to the dirty metal rails, the gravel stabs my feet.
Nothing waits for me up here,
and the melody of the rippling water below sounds all too sweet.
Behind me is the bridge and the road. 
Everything is safe and familiar. 
Everything boring but everything calm
Everything I have ever known 

Below awaits the cold rush of Mississippi waters
Everything else.
Everything scary but everything new
Everything I wish to know

The wind picks up, tangling my hair and an empty metal pipe belts out a tune 
A boat’s approaching much too soon 

The girl beside me lets herself free
she falls without a care
and I can
‘t do this.

I’ve never done this before and 
I don’t know 
how deep the water really goes and 
what if I miss the safety of these rocks and dusty roads? 

This railing is my only tether
It’s warm from sitting in August weather
It’s holding me here and I feel safe 
But so entrapped and out of place
Needing to be free in a world where everything says
I can’t

That boat is getting closer
If I don’t do it now,
the chance is over.

What if I really can 
‘t do this?
I breathe in but don’t breath out,
my fingers loosen on the rails
My feet take a step forward onto nothing

And I’m falling but not failing,
I’m so much more than I’ve ever been 
and my fingers do not miss the touch of the railing, 
nor my feet the pain of the gravel, 
nor my mind the safety of the bridge.

Editor’s Note: Wanting to give the next generation an opportunity to share their voices, we have expanded the Future Focused section of Inspire(d) to include new writers! Partnering with Dana Hogan, the Extended Learning Program teacher at Decorah Middle School, we offered up a variety of prompts like, “What are your predictions for the future?” “What do you wish adults understood about you?” and also shared the Spring 2025 issue’s theme of tackling challenges and facing fears. Students submitted work, did edits, and three were chosen for this print issue of Inspire(d). Check them all out here! Here’s to Listening to the Next Generation!

– Inspire(d) Editor-in-Chief Aryn Henning Nichols

What are your predictions for the future?

Gabbi TerBeest’s thoughts on the future:

The future could be phenomenal. It could also be a complete failure. This is our decision; your decision. Will we work together to relieve pollution, global warming, and how judgmental we as people can be to other citizens in society? Or will we keep the world how it is, or possibly make it worse? 

Because currently, the CO2 levels are way too high. Sea levels are rising, and while that may benefit some species, it makes it nearly impossible for some other species to survive; I mean, consider how the polar bears are doing.

Let’s think about the positives of the future. If we can think about what we do before we act – like don’t throw that Mt. Dew plastic bottle into the garbage – and instead recycle, compost, and persist, the future could look bright. If we accept each other and cooperate, we could live in harmony, in a beautiful world that’s good for all human beings. We could make sure that we aren’t driving everywhere. We could walk, bike… possibly even roller skate, for Pete’s sake, to places that we can get to without a car. 

Lots of companies are making electric cars now, too, which are much better for the CO2 levels. Our air could be so much cleaner. Hopefully other companies go along with this brilliant idea and lower the price of these vehicles so people can afford them. I for sure do not want to grow up and live in a world that isn’t healthy or sustainable to be living in. I pray that we are able to shape this world into a better place before it turns out to be too late.  

If we don’t work together to build a better world, a better life for us and our future generations, this globe and future we have carefully put together, piece by piece, could dissolve into a trillion pieces. Literally and figuratively. These gas levels, global warming, sea levels, and anything you could think of will tear our civilization as we know it apart, and eventually, it won’t look good for us and devastating things could happen to animals, plants, and our environment. 

This future we have could be phenomenal. It could also be a complete failure. This is our decision. So, make it a good one.

      Editor’s Note: Wanting to give the next generation an opportunity to share their voices, we have expanded the Future Focused section of Inspire(d) to include new writers! Partnering with Dana Hogan, the Extended Learning Program teacher at Decorah Middle School, we offered up a variety of prompts like, “What are your predictions for the future?” “What do you wish adults understood about you?” and also shared the Spring 2025 issue’s theme of tackling challenges and facing fears. Students submitted work, did edits, and three were chosen for this print issue of Inspire(d). Check them all out here! Here’s to Listening to the Next Generation!

– Inspire(d) Editor-in-Chief Aryn Henning Nichols

What do you wish adults would understand about you?

Anya Volkmann to Adults:

I want adults to understand that dad jokes aren’t as funny as they think
Using our Gen Z language isn’t cool
That when they say words like rizz and pookie
They aren’t being funny

I wish adults understood that when we stay in our rooms all day
It’s not because we are staying away from them
Not because we are mad
I mean sometimes it is
But sometimes we just need quiet

I wish adults understood that school is crazy
It’s stressful
Sometimes we want to just go home and take a nap
But we have after-school activities

I wish adults understood that for some of us, sports are a world
And for some, they aren’t even something we do
But we get teased for how we play
How we do 
It’s not fair 

But in the end, life isn’t fair.
And there are so many things I wish adults knew 
But there are so many things adults actually do know, too
In fact, the adults in my life have taught me most of what I know today
Like the golden rule
How I should act
Treat others
Have a positive attitude
Be myself
And so much more
So in the end, 
Thank you adults for everything you taught me

      Editor’s Note: Wanting to give the next generation an opportunity to share their voices, we have expanded the Future Focused section of Inspire(d) to include new writers! Partnering with Dana Hogan, the Extended Learning Program teacher at Decorah Middle School, we offered up a variety of prompts like, “What are your predictions for the future?” “What do you wish adults understood about you?” and also shared the Spring 2025 issue’s theme of tackling challenges and facing fears. Students submitted work, did edits, and three were chosen for this print issue of Inspire(d). Check them all out here! Here’s to Listening to the Next Generation!

– Inspire(d) Editor-in-Chief Aryn Henning Nichols