No Regrets, No Worries, Just Living for Today
By Isabela Garasi and Liberty Elliott
In my favorite show, One Piece, there's a quotation I love said by one of my favorite characters, Portgas D. Ace “I don’t wanna live a thousand years. If I just live through today, that’ll be enough.” This quotation holds a deep meaning, reminding us to focus on the present instead of dwelling on the past or constantly worrying about the future. In this fast-paced world we live in today, people are often focusing on regrets they have or long-term success for the future; as a result, we forget to appreciate the moments that are happening right now. Ace’s words reminded me that life isn’t about how long we live or even about past choices, but rather how well we use the time we currently have.
One of the greatest challenges people have in the present is overthinking our future. Almost everyone spends so much time stressing over careers, financial stability, personal goals, and relationships that we fail to truly appreciate the present. Understandably, planning your life is important, but it shouldn’t take away from certain parts of your life; it's coming at the expense of enjoying life as it's happening. Ace’s words encourage us to create a balance in our lives, whether it's pursuing our goals or appreciating the simple things in our lives. We run the risk of losing sight of the joy that occurs in our daily lives if we spend too much time worrying about the future.
Instead of being weighed down by past mistakes, we should focus on what we can do in the present to improve our lives. People find it difficult to move on from the past. It can be the regrets of missing opportunities or guilt coming from past mistakes. Dwelling on things that cannot be changed is constantly preventing us from growing. This quote suggests that we should learn from the past, but we shouldn't let it define our decisions in the present. Instead, we should focus on what we can do and control, such as our actions and decisions, and embrace the opportunities in front of us now.
Another meaningful way we can interpret this quote is that quality matters more than quantity. So many people want to live a long, healthy life, but also fear death, but a long life without purpose or meaning cannot be fulfilling. We should concentrate on living each day to its fullest instead of worrying about how long we have left. A life filled with rich moments is much more valuable than just living a day-to-day life and just existing without actually having lived. Ace’s words serve as a reminder that it's not about how many years we live, but how we choose to live them.
One of the most meaningful ways we can make the most of our lives is by cherishing the people around us. This mindset is very important in relationships because one of the best ways to make life meaningful is by cherishing the people we surround ourselves with. Too often, people will take the ones they love for granted, assuming there will be a time later to express love and appreciation. But the reality is that tomorrow will never be guaranteed. One of the most common regrets people have is not telling someone how much they meant to them until it was too late. If we can apply this philosophy to our daily lives and live by it, we can learn to appreciate our relationships more, making time for the people who matter to us and showing them love while we can. Being present with others and having heartfelt conversations can help strengthen our bonds and create lasting memories. Just like Ace’s quote suggests, it’s not about how much time we have but how we can use it.
Just as we should appreciate our loved ones while we still can, we should invest in our personal growth. Personal growth is another part of the quote that applies to us. Many people wait for the “perfect” time to start something new, whether it’s making a change, learning new skills, or chasing dreams. The truth is that the moment may never happen; there's only today. Taking action now, even if it's a small action, is what will lead to more progress and fulfillment in the future.
Learning how to take care of our mental health is a huge aspect of personal growth. This perspective also helps you want to improve your mental well-being. Anxiety and stress often come from regretting the past or worrying about the future. By shifting our focus to the present, we will have more contentment and peace. Gratitude, mindfulness, and enjoying the little things in life can all help us feel that life has a greater purpose. Instead of getting trapped in the spiraling thoughts of what hasn’t happened or what we can’t change, we should really focus on what we can control, which is our choices, our reactions, and the mindsets we create today.
A present and focused attitude can give us the courage to take action instead of waiting for the “perfect time.” Ace’s words encourage us to be courageous. Living in the present means making choices that align with our values, even when it's difficult. Instead of waiting for the “right moment,” it encourages us to be genuine to ourselves, take risks, and embrace starting to be confident and brave in our decisions.
When we embrace each day to its full potential without fear stopping us, we can live a life that is truly worth living. Instead of waiting for success or happiness in the future, we should look for purpose, connections, and joy in the present. By pursuing our passions, acts of kindness, or appreciating life as it is, we can give each day purpose. Ultimately, this concept reminds us that every day is an opportunity to fully live.
In the end, the past will always be behind us, and the future is uncertain, but today is in our hands. If we make the most of each moment, we won’t need a thousand years to feel like we’ve truly lived.
The Power of Memories: The Details that Tell the Past
By: Co-Editor in Chief, Natalie Jennings
In truth, words are just words; you can say them all day long, but it's your actions that count. Then again, as a reader, I realize words hold power. I have read many novels in my 16 years of life and yet, I always go back to the classics. The classics have always been full of emotion, love, and pain, but that’s the truth in them; it's what makes them personal. It is history, a record, every person has one. So what is yours?
This question had me thinking; what is my history? How would people remember me? A question with many thoughts. I know my past and I know my future goals. If I had a chance, what would I tell my past self? Another chance question, one with infinite possibilities and thoughts; but with thought, I would probably tell her that she was enough, that she was worth something. Change might be uncomfortable, but it is necessary, and sometimes it has to happen. Even through hardships, she can persevere and will continue to.
Then I started thinking of what I would tell my future self? I would ask her if she achieved her goals of becoming a sports agent, and if she is working in professional sports. More specifically, the NFL, and if she is working for the Philadelphia Eagles or another team. I would ask if she had finally published the book she always wanted to. My greatest ambitions are working in professional football and publishing a book of poems—both things I love today.
People who know me on a personal level would probably tell you I love football; that I watch it almost obsessively. Writing is one of my favorite hobbies and poetry is one of my favorite escapes. I love books and music. It is a gateway to a person's soul. However, the one thing I have learned is that people change, and you change the things you once loved. You could grow distant from making them memories.
Memories are what life is all about. Memories that are a part of your history. When you think about it, the memories you create are the way you will be remembered. So the life lesson I would tell someone else in the present or the future is to make as many memories as you can, work hard towards your goals, and never lose sight of them or yourself.
We all have memories. Some of my best memories include my first days of school and time spent with family and friends. However, we all will have memories we share in the sense we all went through, and that fact is what causes many different perspectives.
Some of my favorite memories are my first day of kindergarten, and from what I remember, I was excited but also nervous. However, I liked my teacher, which helped. See, my first day of middle school was different. We were in the COVID-19 pandemic, so my first day was online.
Now, on my first day of high school, I remember staying up the whole night before, because I wanted to wake up early to get ready. I was extremely nervous that day. A new school, same people, but a different me. When I found my way, I was okay. I love to travel and spend time with my family; most of my favorite memories with them are when we travel.
Beyond traveling and the first days of school, some of my best memories are the simple ones—movie nights at home, family gatherings, or even just joking around with my siblings, parents, or friends. These small moments remind me how lucky I am to have such strong connections with the people I love.
When you think about it, the memories you create define how you are remembered by others. Every laugh, every adventure, every lesson learned—these are the pieces that make up the story of your life.
That’s why, if I could offer one life lesson to someone in the present or the future, it would be this: make as many memories as you can. Cherish the little moments and embrace the big ones in life. Life is unpredictable, and time moves quickly, but the memories you create along the way will be your most valuable treasures. Live fully, love deeply, and make every moment count—why waste the time you have?
In the end, life is a collection of moments—some fleeting, some unforgettable, all shaping the legacy we leave behind. Our history is not just in the words we speak, but in the actions we take, the dreams we chase, and the memories we create. As I reflect on my journey, I see a story still being written, one filled with growth, purpose, and passion.
Looking Back, Moving Forward
By Mary Jane Rodriguez
Dear Future Me,
I hope this letter finds you well and in good health. As I write this, it's February 25, 2025, and I am currently living in Clovis, New Mexico. The world around me is bustling with technology and rapid changes, and I can only imagine how much more advanced everything must be in your time.
First, I want to remind you of the dreams and aspirations you had at this moment. You always wanted to make a meaningful impact on the world, whether it’s through your career, relationships, or personal growth. I hope you have stayed true to those dreams and have found fulfillment in your journey. Remember the importance of family and friends; they were always your pillars of support, and I hope you have continued to cherish and nurture those relationships.
The love and support from those closest to you are irreplaceable and invaluable. As you reflect on the past 50 years or more, I hope you can see how much you've grown and evolved. Life is a series of lessons, and I hope you have embraced each one with grace and resilience. The challenges you faced were stepping stones to becoming the person you are today.
I wonder what technological advancements have shaped your world. In 2025, we were on the brink of incredible innovations in artificial intelligence, renewable energy, and space exploration. I hope these advancements have brought positive changes to society and improved the quality of life for everyone.
Climate change was a significant concern in 2025. I hope that by your time, humanity has made substantial progress in addressing environmental issues. I hope you have witnessed a world where sustainability and conservation are prioritized, ensuring a healthier planet for future generations. Your passion for learning and curiosity about the world were always strong. I hope you have continued to seek knowledge and explore new interests.
Education is a lifelong journey, and I hope you have never lost your thirst for discovery. I hope you have found a balance between work and personal life. In 2025, it was challenging to juggle career ambitions with personal well-being.
I hope you have managed to achieve a harmonious balance that allows you to enjoy both aspects of life fully. Health is wealth, as they say. I hope you have taken good care of yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally. In 2025, there was a growing awareness of the importance of mental health. I hope you have continued to prioritize your well-being and seek help when needed.
Reflecting on your accomplishments, I hope you are proud of what you have achieved. Whether big or small, each success is a testament to your hard work and dedication. Celebrate your victories and learn from your setbacks. Travel was always a passion of yours.
I hope you have had the opportunity to explore different parts of the world and experience diverse cultures. Travel enriches the soul and broadens perspectives, and I hope you have many cherished memories from your adventures.
Remember to stay connected to your roots. Clovis, New Mexico, was where you began this journey, and it holds a special place in your heart. I hope you have stayed in touch with your hometown and the people who shaped your early years.
The world in 2025 was filled with both challenges and opportunities. I hope you have navigated through the complexities of life with wisdom and courage. Each decision you made was a step towards the future, and I hope you have no regrets.
As you read this letter, take a moment to reflect on the person you were 50 years ago. The hopes, dreams, and challenges you faced were all part of your journey. I hope you can look back with a sense of pride and satisfaction. Lastly, I want to remind you to stay true to yourself.
The core values and principles you held dear in 2025 are timeless. Integrity, kindness, and compassion will always be important, no matter how much the world changes. With love and best wishes,
MaryJane Rodriguez
Future Me, Are You Proud?
By Elena Rodriguez
Dear Future me:
As I write this letter, I want to take a moment to introduce myself. My name is Elena Rodriguez. The day that I'm writing this is February 10, 2025, and I am 16 years old, living in Clovis, New Mexico. If all goes well, I hope this letter finds you well and thriving. Currently, I am attending Clovis High School as a sophomore.
I am writing this letter to my future self to reflect on the journey and wonder what incredible adventures and challenges I may encounter since this moment, and see if I have reached any of my goals that I may have set for myself. First and foremost, I hope you have continued to try to prioritize your health and well-being.
Health is the most important foundation in life. Struggling is also a part of keeping a stable lifestyle. I hope these struggles will make you a better and stronger person in the future. Continue to work on your mental health, stay healthy and hydrated. Stay strong even when you feel like you're in a dark place, just know you have people there to support you.
Currently, I am still brainstorming about the careers and colleges I want to attend shortly after high school. I am slowly focusing on personal growth and setting goals for the future. I will start working hard to develop new skills, to build a meaningful career that I want to set for the future.
I hope you have prioritized the values on the college and career paths, and achieved many of the dreams I might be striving for. Don’t be afraid to take risks and embrace challenging yourself, follow your passions, even when the road starts to get rough.
Choose a career path that truly fulfills you. Your passion for learning and curiosity about the world were always strong. I hope you have continued to seek knowledge and explore new interests. Education is a lifelong journey and I hope you've never lost your thirst for discovery. I also hope you have found a healthy balance between work and personal life.
Life is a series of moments and memories, each shaping us in ways we often cannot foresee. Make new memories with relationships, family, and friends. Family and friends are the most important part of my life, and I hope they remain central to yours. I trust that you have nurtured these relationships and will continue to make lasting memories that you care most about.
Cherish each connection and continue to uplift and support those around you and in your life. Especially family, as they will always come first in anything in life, as they would support you in your journey.
Friendship is also one of the important things in our lives and I hope you value each friendship, especially the ones closest to you. I hope you have made good memories over the years with the friends you have now. Keep the friends that will help you with your struggles and vulnerable moments in your life. Close friends you share bonds with, the ones who accept you for you; the ones who are worth fighting for.
As of right now, I have no job, as I want to focus on finishing this school year and achieving high grades. My goal is to secure my dream job in the future, and I'm committed to working hard to attain it. I'll dedicate myself to gaining the necessary skills and experience to succeed in my chosen field. I'm confident that with perseverance and determination, I will achieve my career aspirations and build a fulfilling and successful future.
Sincerely, Elena Rodriguez
Passion In Music; Words Of The Past
By King Xavier Lucero
1- By the time your generation reads this message, I'm dead or I'm on a ventilator. Your generation probably does not listen to music, but I hope you do. I also hope music hasn't died with my generation. I hope you remember great composers like myself, including Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven, to name a couple. I hope I’m remembered for being a great musician like Prince, Johnny Cash, Kurt Cobain, Serj Tankian, to name a few. But to my generation and the ones before, music is very important in the sense that it's a core human experience for the mind and on a spiritual level.
2- Are there still political problems, and does it affect your music? Some of the best bands used political controversy and they used it to “Fight the Power” and “Stick it to the man” like The Clash, Megadeth, Sex Pistols, System of a Down, just to name a few. They gave powerful political messages with their lyrics. They gave light to what the government is doing to the country and many aspects. They use “anti-establishment” and they also use “anti-war songs.” They also use points in history involving the government and state. Like the songs, Prison Song, Cigro, Radio/Video, Vicinity of Obscenity, and Chic ‘N’ Stu. All by System of a Down. This is my personal favorite band.
3- This type of music speaks to me on a personal level. I love a lot of genres like Rock, Nu Metal, Metal, Alternative Rock, Indie Rock, Reggae, just to name a few. They speak so much to me; it makes me feel calm. It brings me into a state of calmness and zen, in a sense; music increases your blood flow to the brain regions when it enters the brain, it generates your emotions. It can boost your memory, reduce your anxiety and depression, and it helps me improve my workflow. It helps my generation so much and it helped me and a lot of people through rough times.
4- Like mentioned before, my favorite band is System of a Down and their type of music is my personal favorite. Their genre is Nu metal, but most of their songs have a theme that you can find while listening. There are some songs I love, but I will choose a couple. First off is “Aerials,” it shows to the listener how people can lose their identities and become like everyone else. “Toxicity” talks about what it's like living in Los Angeles and it makes you feel powerful in a sense. Also, “Chop Suey” can be interpreted in multiple ways. The song can mean something as simple as death, or it can talk about Christ and how the devil was one and “all angels deserve to die.” I don't know what this means, but it can be referring to the devil.
5- That’s only three amazing songs from one album named Toxicity. There are six in total and they are all amazing and have their own meaning behind them. Every rock and metal variant shaped me on how I am today. Even while I write this, I'm listening to Nirvana's “Heart Shaped Box.” Amazing song, by the way. These bands and artists shaped me to what I want to strive for in my career in the future.
6- I also play music. At this moment, I know how to play six instruments. I know how to play four different saxophones: the alto, tenor, bari, and the highest pitch, the soprano saxophone. I also play bass guitar and electric. I have been playing music for almost 5 years, in both classical and jazz music. I'm also in a band with my best friends called “Blood Rose.” Currently, we're still working on the albums.
7- I fell in love with music at a young age when I was in the hospital because of a birth defect. My birth defect is called “gastroschisis” where your organs are outside the body due to the abdominal wall not forming properly in the womb. In my opinion, not that sad, but it would be if I didn't live. The amazing doctors in Lubbock, TX saved me that day. I fell in love with music because of my mom and dad. My mom loved the same things as me and she and my dad both loved rap.
8- My dad has so many stories of me at the hospital, and him singing to me. Of course rap. He sang the likes of Lil Wayne, The Notorious B.I.G., Ice Cube, and Eminem with countless more. He told me some songs, but I will talk about one. The song was called “Mona Lisa” by Slick Rick. It is my introduction to rap, but most importantly, music. After that, mostly every day till now, I listen to music. My love of rock came from my mother: Nirvana, Korn, and Linkin Park. But it was really fueled when I met my two best friends. Echo and Maddox, and later on they invited me to their band, and we have been a band for a year now. I met them both during my 9th grade year.
9- We met during marching band, one of my favorite things I love and fueled why I love music so much. It was a nice summer day and both of them started talking to me. It was instant clicks. My friends and I had a very big liking for music and bands. They showed a lot of bands, but my favorite band of all time would be System of a Down. You can tell just how I have three paragraphs dedicated to them. But after that, we have been friends now for almost three years. They took me out of a place I didn't like. I was happy, but not fully. It wasn't fake happiness, but not fully happy.
10- They brought something big inside me and showed a totally different side of me. So I thank them so much for being in my life and I can't wait to see where our friendships will go. But in the end, I have two things to tell you. One, don't let music be forgotten and pursue whatever you want to pursue, even if it's crazy. Miracles happen every day. Also,life and everything that comes with it should not be taken for granted, so live every day to the fullest.
Thank you, Mom and Dad, and my best friends.
Sincerely, King Xavier Lucero
Photo by Jaxton
Purple Press is a publication vehicle for student expression.
The school board encourages students to express their views in school-sponsored publications and to observe rules for responsible journalism. This means expression that falls into any of the following categories shall not be permitted: any expression which is false or obscene, libelous, slanderous, or defamatory under state law, which presents a clear and present danger of the commission of unlawful acts, violation of school rules or materials and substantial disruption of the orderly operation of the school or which violates the privacy rights of others.
Student editors of school-sponsored publications are responsible for determining the news, opinion, and advertising content of the publication. The publication's advisor is responsible for supervising the production of the publication and for teaching and encouraging free responsible expression and professional standards of journalism.
The views expressed in the Purple Press are not necessarily those of Clovis High School or the Clovis Municipal School Board of Education.
Advisor: Augustine Martinez
Editor-in-chief - Lukas Stephens
Design Editor: Lukas Stephens
Editor: Natalie Jennings
Staff writers: King Lucero, Elena Rodriguez, Mary Jane Rodriguez.