Junior year. I think it's fair to say that we juniors are all in the same boat. Up until now we have been rafting down calm, clear waters. The ride has been smooth and, for the most part, peaceful. But it's different, and the water all around our mutual boat is ever-changing. As if passengers on a lobster boat in the arctic ocean, the water has transformed into a turbulent sea of blistering wind and crashing waves. We are like ants on the ship, and what we thought was a strong Titanic, this mutual boat is like a puppet to the ragging conditions. If one wave hits the left side, the whole thing is swayed to the right. If a strong northeastern wind catches the sails, the whole ship turns accordingly. And then, all those thousands of lucrative lobster are no where to be found. Your prized possessed treasure, what earns you many, what cultivates satisfaction, is unattainable. This is the boat we juniors are on.
The boat is our life.
The wind, waves, and water are our pressures to map out our future...NOW!
The lobsters are our goals, our dreams, our fairytale wishes.
The ant is every junior in the United States.
The ant is me.
"When I grow up, I want to be..."
Almost every kid I know could answer this question before they were even able to add 1+2. Looking back, most answers make people laugh. I remember I always dreamed of growing up to be a Subway worker. My dreams now couldn't be more different. But the truth is, I don't have a definite answer to the question. Now, the time when every other adult, counselor, teacher, or parent asks you, I end up with the typical answer "uhh..."
But why is that? Why can a 4 year old answer the question, but even 24 year-olds can't? Is it that we are less decisive? Can too many opportunities cloud our little brains? Or is it the fear factor, because now your answer "permanently" cements you for the rest of your life? It no longer becomes a dream to drool over, but a reality to live 24/7.
I think the latter holds true for me. It's mind-boggling to think we 17 year-olds are deciding today what we most likely will do until we are 57 or even 67 years old. That's a decision that literally lasts a lifetime. AH!
I have found all this to be true. But I have also discovered another truth. Every ship carries life boats, in case something happens. A word to the wise (my eyes are listening, too): jump out onto the life boat and do your own thing. Leave the pressures of your pesky counselor, or nagging relative behind. Think in terms of a global perspective. Not every country in the world is so entangled in this turbulence as we Americans are. Most don't even dream of getting such an opportunity, let alone having the freedom to decide their answer. So get out your own compass, and direct your own path. Your heart is your map. Follow it, and you will be catching lobsters faster than you can ever imagine.
The boat is our life.
The wind, waves, and water are our pressures to map out our future...NOW!
The lobsters are our goals, our dreams, our fairytale wishes.
The ant is every junior in the United States.
The ant is me.
"When I grow up, I want to be..."
Almost every kid I know could answer this question before they were even able to add 1+2. Looking back, most answers make people laugh. I remember I always dreamed of growing up to be a Subway worker. My dreams now couldn't be more different. But the truth is, I don't have a definite answer to the question. Now, the time when every other adult, counselor, teacher, or parent asks you, I end up with the typical answer "uhh..."
But why is that? Why can a 4 year old answer the question, but even 24 year-olds can't? Is it that we are less decisive? Can too many opportunities cloud our little brains? Or is it the fear factor, because now your answer "permanently" cements you for the rest of your life? It no longer becomes a dream to drool over, but a reality to live 24/7.
I think the latter holds true for me. It's mind-boggling to think we 17 year-olds are deciding today what we most likely will do until we are 57 or even 67 years old. That's a decision that literally lasts a lifetime. AH!
I have found all this to be true. But I have also discovered another truth. Every ship carries life boats, in case something happens. A word to the wise (my eyes are listening, too): jump out onto the life boat and do your own thing. Leave the pressures of your pesky counselor, or nagging relative behind. Think in terms of a global perspective. Not every country in the world is so entangled in this turbulence as we Americans are. Most don't even dream of getting such an opportunity, let alone having the freedom to decide their answer. So get out your own compass, and direct your own path. Your heart is your map. Follow it, and you will be catching lobsters faster than you can ever imagine.
*Image courtesy of the Southshoreartist Blog
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