Rants and Ruminations: A collection of thoughts from a teenager.

Perhaps our rivers will never cross again. Perhaps ours are just yet to. What’s certain is that rivers keep flowing and we must keep going.

Rants: On the rise and fall of civilisation

Civilisations begin and end. No civilisation in ancient history has lasted the test of time. The Babylonians are but dust in what was once their sand and Greece a shell of what was once considered the centre of the world.

Rivers wind. And so do our lives. We will redefine ourselves in the coming years.

But the chapters of life build upon one another. We will take parts of our friends with us as we move on: the times — well or not — spent; the lessons learnt; and the laughs shared. And them, us.

Throughout history, humanity has only followed on pattern — the rise and falls of societies and systems. The discovery of agriculture met by famine and drought, fire met by blazes, settlements met by disease and suffering.

And this pattern makes sense. Whatever that made an empire or civilisation great will erode with time. That is not a question. It’s simply human nature to forget the lessons of the past and undervalue the achievements of our ancestors. In just a few generations, the mighty Qing empire, ruled by an iron fist by a tyrannical overlord, collapsed due to an incompetent successor whose power was undermined time and time again.

There is a pattern across all history and the rise and fall of these empires. Their rise mirrors their fall. Through brutal military conquest and clever political exploitation did the British empire conquer the world, and so by brutal revolts and the political breakdown of Europe did it collapse. The Roman Empire was built upon a seemingly never ending core of labourers and soldiers, whose constant effort in wars and statecraft ultimately led to dominance unheard of for their era. Yet, after centuries of constant struggles with seemingly endless enemies, their empire collapsed.

This year will be a time of departure, not just of ourselves from the school — our second home though tumultuous it has been — but also from our dear friends.

A new chapter is also a chance to redefine ourselves. We will meet new people who will challenge and delight us in completely new ways, beginning the cycle anew.