We are the Future

It’s the little things in life that count, Such as smiling at a stranger on the street, or offering your seat to someone on the bus, or bringing coffee into your workplace. It’s random acts of kindness such as these that improve one’s overall mood. Now I know I usually would preach about different experiences, and how to be appreciative of everything. But I really just want to point out what I appreciate in my life. To start with, I’m forever grateful for my family and my friends and everyone I’ve been blessed enough to meet throughout my life. 

These past few months I’ve gotten the chance to meet so many unique and supportive people, and I’ve had the opportunity to surround myself with unlimited love. Everyday I’m given the opportunity to get up and go to a building where I interact with people who constantly work to make each other happy,  who encourage each other, and make the high school moments memorable. I’m surrounded by adults that inspire me to do great things, they push me, they encourage me, but mainly, they understand that I am human, and because of this, they are just here to help me along. I’ve met so many teachers in my 13 years of schooling, and sadly, it’s the rarest thing to actually be treated like a human being by them, and to be in an environment where not only am I treated like an adult, but also a friend, is so refreshing.

            I’ve learned more about myself these past few months than I have in the last 10 years, and I have the change of my surroundings to thank for that. Obviously, I’m thankful for my parents who constantly support me and encourage me to follow me dreams, because I understand that many people don’t live with the support that I am blessed with. Every day I wake up, and no matter what kind of mood I’m in, I find myself totally mesmerized by life, and completely emerged in happiness. Because I was surrounded by waves of negativity for so many years, I find myself completely thankful for everything I have.

Now enough with me, I’d like to talk about other things to be thankful for. Evidently, we should all be thankful for our parents, assuming you have a roof over your head and food on the table and a warm bed to cuddle into when you’re tired. Even if you and your parents don’t get along, please remember to be grateful to have them, because someone else would kill for what you have. That’s a good thing to remember too- we live in a world of privilege, and we need to take advantage of this, and appreciate it. Although you may not enjoy certain parts of your life, at least they are there, because some are much less fortunate than us. Also, take chances in your life, don’t fear change, don’t let these endless opportunities we are handed go to waste.

We are the generation of freedom; we are the generation that will make the difference. I’ve seen this first hand, and I have faith that we, right here and now, will change the world. Abuse the facilities you are given to learn, and learn, and learn, and never stop learning. I’ve seen teenage boys and girls fight so hard for what women were fighting for decades ago, because they’ve educated themselves on situations then and now, and they refuse to let the fight stop because “things kinda got better”. I’ve seen children open their arms wide to transgender and homosexuals and everything and anything in between because they have the ability to see everyone as humans. I’ve seen 16 year olds out there in the world fighting for what they believe is right, because we were raised to voice our opinions, to never stop, to make a difference.

And I believe that’s exactly what we will do, and I find myself forever thankful to be a part of such an educated and generous and accepting generation. And if you ever believe there’s nothing to appreciate in life, know that there is always something to feel proud about in, because you can make a difference; we all matter.

 

 

 

Optimism is the Key to Success

     When I was 6 I couldn’t wait to be 12, when I was 12 I couldn’t wait to be 16, now that I’m 16, I can’t wait to be 18. Life is a constant journey of always waiting and wanting and living in the future. But what happens when we always live in the future? We forget to live now, in the present. We get so caught up on what we’re going to do when we’re older, where we’re going to live, who we’re going to associate with, and we seem to ignore the things that we can be doing now- what we’re doing tonight, or who we’re seeing next week, or what kind of hobbies you enjoy. When you get older you can’t wait to have kids, then you can’t wait for them to move out, or you can’t wait till you land your dream job, then suddenly you can’t wait to retire. It falls under the idea that the human species is never satisfied. So what actually happens when you appreciate where you are at this exact moment in life? You get to hang out with company that you enjoy and do activities that make you smile. You get to wear clothes that make you feel good and eat food that tastes good, and work a terrible job that puts some cash in your pocket, and you get to enjoy yourself. When you live for the moment, you finally get to appreciate everything around you, because you are able to realize that although this may not be the life you want to live right now, doesn’t mean that you aren’t thankful for it.

     Living in this day and age as a teenager I completely understand that it can be a challenging task to just live for today, without constantly wishing for Friday, or summer, or graduation. We’re taught to plan ahead, be prepared for the future, work towards goals. And of course how can we work towards goals if we don’t set them, think about them, constantly reference them, and occasionally dream about them? By the age of 12 you’re thrown into this system of schooling that teaches you that you need to know what you want to do with the next 70 years of your life now. Kids learn much quicker than you think, and once you’re taught a certain way of living, it’s complicated to get them to just stop. I mean, kids know what they want to do with their lives as young as 6 or 7 now, and that’s terrifying, because how can you really know? It’s all a gamble in life and I think that’s why we get so focussed on the future. Because although we are unable to control the present, in our minds, we are able to completely control how our futures turn out. Because we believe that we were taught that if you had a goal, and persisted, and dreamt just big enough, you can reach it no matter what- and we somehow seemed too misinterpreted it along the span of growing up- by thinking that life will be exactly how we plan it.

     It won’t turn out the way we want it to, anyone could tell us that. But it can still happen. Personally I have goals that I set years ago, altering them slightly as I grow up; figuring out what it is that I actually want to do with my life. It’s hard, being as controlling as I am, to accept that there are certain things in life that I just won’t be able to control. But just because there’s no guarantee doesn’t mean I shouldn’t still be optimistic about my future- we all should be. I want to be an actor, a singer, a dancer, a general performer, yet I also want to be a director, an organizer, a makeup artist, and writer, a journalist, a reporter, a talk show hostess, an archeologist, an environmentalist, a public speaker, a traveler, a friend, a wife a mother. My options are limitless because although I know my immediate plan come to the end of my high school career, I also understand that through life my plans will change, as will my circumstances and interests and talents. I can accept that multiple topics intrigue me, and that I could be happy exploring any one or multiple of those jobs. I want to work at Disney, on a cruise, on Broadway, off Broadway, everywhere and anywhere in between. I want to work in Spain and England and France, I want to work at the New York Times and anywhere else to express my views. I can understand that although my options are limitless, I am not bound by one job or one city my whole life. I intend to live anywhere and anywhere I can, to see the places I know others will never have the chance to.

     My point being, if you are willing to grow, and accept that life will not be what you plan it to be, then maybe you can stop waiting, and start living. Live today, live tomorrow, don’t wait till your 20 or 30 because eventually you’ll be 70 saying you wish you lived instead of always looking for more. It’s hard to just breathe, take in your surroundings, and be thankful for everything you have in life. We don’t want to be happy; I believe that’s just how we are. We always need to be stressed or annoyed or complaining about something that doesn’t matter in the long run- when really, none of it matters. It doesn’t matter if you’re 10 minutes late or spilt coffee on your shirt or hand in an essay a day late. None of it matters, because really, that’s life. There are obstacles that get in the way and sometimes, things just don’t go as planned. We need to accept that about life, continue to be optimistic about the future, but remember to live now, and not wait. Begin.

A Good Man Is a Selfish One

     As I got ready today to head into town I encountered a man in the elevator of my apartment building with a rescue dog. This big brown dog immediately came in and rubbed against my leg, begging for attention, licking my hand and pushing to be petted. The dog’s name was baby; she came from an abuse home about a year ago- in the conditions of being completely terrified of people, and anything that made loud noises or sudden movements. Now, Baby is completely in love with people and able to do tasks such as play fetch, and ride alongside a bicycle. I learned Baby’s story in the amount of time it took to get from the 8^th floor to the 1^st. This man was obviously proud of Baby, and you could tell he loved her like a child- but I could also clearly tell that this man was proud of himself, and felt accomplished, and happy for doing what he considered to be a good, selfless deed.

     But if you think about it, what is a good deed? You probably think a good deed is simply an act of which benefits others but not yourself. But is that really true? I mean, thinking about it, doesn’t it usually benefit you? If you rescue an animal, donate money to charity, volunteer at a hospital, give a generous tip, or anything of such, I see multiple benefits for the person doing the “good deed”. Self fulfillment, pleasure, enjoyment, happiness, sense of pride- these are the rewards you receive while doing a selfless deed. And I don’t believe there’s anything wrong with that, doing something good for others to benefit you. After all, don’t we always put ourselves first?

     I had never come to the realization that all good deeds are selfish until I stumbled upon the thought in a T.V show, which then I came to think that it only makes sense, considering all man is selfish. We do things for ourselves, we consider whether or not we will benefit from it; how a certain situation will make us feel or how an act will make others think of us. We put our health and happiness and stability before others, which only makes sense considering the only life we have to worry about, is our own. But what’s wrong with just admitting that a good deed can also be a selfish one? Just because you want to donate some extra money to a hospital to make yourself feel good about helping sick children, doesn’t mean that you are a bad person. Not even the slightest- it actually makes you a developed person. If you can realize that yes although you are doing something to benefit others, while still improving or helping yourself, then I think you have room to grow. Because then it can become something you do often, and because you enjoy it. You would never consider a person who’s currently in Uganda helping build villages and schools and take care of children a selfish person, but really they get something out of it which is as equally fulfilling. They get joy, they get the satisfaction that they are able to help others, and able to make a difference. Selfish deeds are simply acts of kindness, taken a little further, and far more beneficial.

     My point being- is to be selfish, as much and long as you want. Build an orphanage, volunteer, adopt, rescue, donate, compliment. Do it all, but do it with purpose. I refuse to believe there’s such a thing as a good deed, there’s just things that certain people do to feel good about themselves. And you know what, if you happen to make someone else feel as good about it as you do, then what’s wrong with that? Be selfish. It’s what helps you grow.

 

Distance Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

     I believe the Europeans have the right idea about school, they seem to understand that you’re supposed to be getting an education, and then living your life doing what you desire to do. Did you know they only go to school until 16? Or something like that I believe. I’ve never understood their education system, but I feel as if they’re doing something better than us because there’s something about 14 years of schooling that just doesn’t seem right. What are we learning? They tell us that we are learning complex math, and how to socialize. They tell us that we are learning the curriculum, and how to be organized and efficient. They tell us that through our classes we are learning how to become adults; how to handle the real world, they tell us that they are “preparing us for our futures”. But really, what are they teaching us? Besides learning to memorize and reiterate whatever they teach us through the 30 hours a week they have us. They’re teaching us to do what we’re told and not question even the stupidest of commands because they have “authority” over us. They’re teaching us that we need to be adults, yet refuse to treat us as such.

     Now this isn’t about slamming the American education system- I tend to enjoy it from here and there. You socialize, you learn what subjects you like and don’t like, and you join clubs and teams and meet new people. There’s much more to school than the work that goes on inside the classrooms. But what happens when school’s over? When we all graduate and get a much earned pass into the real world? Many choose more schooling- to broaden their knowledge on the subjects they have a passion for, or the subjects their parents force them to go into, or careers that will keep them financially stable. Some decide to get right into their fields of expertise, going into factories and garages and on the road. Some go travel the world to see the great wall and the Grand Canyon. Others just spend time trying to figure out what it is they actually want to do now that they aren’t busy with school all day. But the thing we don’t realize is that within two days you go from high school student  to adult, and suddenly you’re expected to have all the answers- when most of the time you just don’t know.

     So what is the great big plan for life? What are we going to do? I have about one year and 200 days to figure it out- some have more, some have less. Some only have a matter of weeks, whereas some may have ten years. But the question is always evident no matter where you are in life: what next? Change is next; doing something new, switching up routine, moving around, meeting new people, learning new things- life is next. Most people, as I’ve come to realize, don’t like change at all, not the thought, the process, or most times even the outcome. But where would we be if we stayed in one place our whole lives? Well we’d probably be dead, even if we were still breathing. People need change, even if they don’t realize it. We are a species of creativity and adventure and a need to know more, a need to do more. We get bored in one place for too long and we get tired with the same jobs for too long and we get annoyed with the same people once time passes. We are not people meant to be stuck in one routine our whole lives.

     Change is difficult but I’ve learned it’s always for the better, no matter what it may be. Change may be hard and it may be unwanted, or at the wrong time, but it will work in your favour. Whether it’s graduating or moving or breaking up with your partner or losing a friend or failing a class, there is a purpose for it. Life teaches and sometimes change is the best lesson of all. I’ve learned that if you are unhappy you are able to fix it, all you have to do is be willing to change it. Be brave enough to so say enough is enough and then do something. I’ve met so many people who cannot accept change, people who run from it, and I find it quite foolish because you cannot prevent change.

     I swear I had proper intentions during this piece, but I sort of got caught up on thinking and planning and working on my own change for the future- I got sidetracked which I didn’t mean to do. I guess you could say my plans for this were changed. Anyways- my point being, if you see change be brave, be courageous, chase it, catch it, embrace it. Change is coming for all of us.

 

Home is Where the Heart Lies

      Home: noun. Definition? Google dictionary defines it as a place where one lives permanently, but the more I move around, the more I realize that the literal definition for home could not be any further away from what a home is. Through the last five years I’ve moved to 6 different places that would fall under the definition of home- a place where I was permanently residing. And for times they all felt like home- they all had my bed and my books, my family and my pets and all of my belongings but there’s something about these places that just weren’t.... home. Home is not defined by where you live, but where your heart lives. There are cities I’ve never been to and people I’ve never met but I know my home lies in others, and my home lies in objects, and my home lies in places- my home does not lie where I do.

     The concept of a home is breezed over far too often, caused by man’s obsessive desire for more; more money. Man is a greedy species, we take and we take and we often forget to give, to appreciate, and to admire. I’ve met people who cannot appreciate, people who have everything- money, family, success, love, yet they cannot take the moment to realize that just because their boss yelled at them, or gas went up a few cents does not define how their life is. I’ve met these people who cannot bear to come to terms with the fact that their lives are ideal and joyful yet they cannot be joyful because they have so much misconception. Yet I’ve met people with nothing at all yet they are so fulfilled with their lives. A man on the streets with no money for food or clothes or to put a roof over his head can be the happiest of us all, because he is living for himself. I’ve seen a man who lives not for the government, not for his boss, not as a slave to himself but as a friend to himself. A man on the streets knows that his home is not in greed, but the universe itself.

     I’ve met a girl who has found a home in art; by the way the paint strokes on a canvas and the scratch of a pencil on a pad. She finds comfort in it; she has confidence that when she places a brush or pencil or charcoal in her hand that she will do wondrous things with it. She has found a home within the colours on the canvas, and for her that is as good as any place to permanently reside.

     I envy these people because I’ve yet to find my home, reasonable enough though, considering most people never even search for theirs at all.  It’s an absurd idea really, and you may never realize that a home is not a building with your bed and your belongings- and you may enjoy your life full of longing and greed for things you can never fulfill. But if you understand that your home is all around, waiting to be found, I hope you have the courage to go look for it. Some people may find their home as life goes on without even trying to find it, some may find it in family- such as children or parents, cousins or siblings. For others it may be more complicated to find.  It may take years, you may have to travel to dozens of cities to eventually find it in a little coffee shop downtown Paris, or tiny boat docked in San Francisco. You may find home in the children in Africa or the villages in Haiti, you may find it in your university library, or the rain in England, or a ski lodge in Vermont. You might look for weeks or you may look for years but no matter what I hope you find it.

      Who knows how long it will take me to find my home, it could be anywhere. But for now, I’m perfectly happy with my houses, my permanent places of residence; where I can go “home” to my family and pets and bed and belongings. I’m comfortable with my school and my friends, my gym, my coffee shops and my malls. Because for now that’s all I know as home, and it’s a pretty good replacement to grow up in. And when I do find my home, I will always still have this moment.

Love is a battle field

         The one thing the movies never explain is how it happens, how you really fall in love. I mean it doesn’t happen overnight, but they tend to skip right to the huge romance thing- they never mention the awkward dates or texting all night, they don’t show the infatuation or the struggle, they just magically fall in love. And I guess for a while, maybe that was good enough for me, maybe all I wanted to know was that it happened. But now I constantly find myself wondering where those moments have gone? How those moments pan out? I’m so tired of watching those romance movies, where they meet and fall in love; I want to finally see dorky, quirky, awkward head over heels infatuation for once. I want to see something realistic. Have you ever been out in public and taken time to really notice people? The way they walk or talk on their phones? The way they hold hands with their partner or walk close to the one they admire? There’s just so much to life in general that we never feel the need or desire to explore, and to me that feels silly, and wasteful, because ignoring the beauty in the world is what creates all the hate.

The first thing I want to explore is love; Crushes, infatuation, fondness, attachment, intimacy, endearment, and head over heels in love. All different things yes, but all a form of feelings or longing for another. Love is the most common thing to surround us in our everyday lives, whether we realize it or not. “Call me when you get home safe”, “Have a good night”, “Hangout with me” – all of these are forms of fondness, whether spoken from a friend, a family member, a partner, teacher, or anyone who holds a status in your life. Love is what keeps mankind a functioning community, because really the key to love is caring. Being able to care deeply about someone gives you this vulnerability and really it’s a thing that we need.

Everywhere I go I’m lucky enough to witness great acts of love; on the bus, in the park, the hallways at school, or even my own house. The other day I was on the bus and I overheard a woman on her phone- talking to who I assume was her kid. “I’m almost there, tell him to start dinner now, the turkey is in the fridge downstairs”. She then asked to speak to him, - whoever him was, and proceeded to talk him through where all the ingredients for dinner were. Most people would lose patience; they would hang up, or even get annoyed and raise their voice. When she got off she proceeded to tell all the people who were glaring at her that she left her husband in charge for dinner and wanted to help him through the process. Simple, sweet, but nonetheless a form of affection, she wanted her family to eat a good meal even though she couldn’t be there.

It’s the small things like the woman on the bus who intrigue me. If I could carry around a video camera recording “love”, I would, and if I could get paid to do that for the rest of my life? I’d worship it. But the thing about love is people don’t understand it, so they don’t acknowledge it as much as it should be. They think the only love is the intimate kind- which as I discovered very quickly into life is not true at all. Love is when your friends make you laugh just a little too hard, or when you look forward to going out to the movies, love is when you long for someone, or think about someone at all. Love is not destroyed, love is at absence, love is disregarded, but love does not go away- love is permanent. Whether it’s a friend, object, or even a plant, love is love, and there is no greater thing. So I encourage you to love as much and as big as you can. Love yourself, love your bedroom and your clothes, love the annoying bus rides you have to take, love your terrible job that pays the bills, love your dogs and families, love your friends and peers, love the sun and the snow and really to conclude- just love life. Love the world. Love it all and love it good because you’ve only got one chance to live, so do it right. Love it.