Thoughts From 2 am

Do any of us know what it is to succeed? Have any of us ever took a moment to reflect on what it is that defines success and failure, in terms of one’s life? This is a subject that’s been on my mind quite a bit lately. I’ve never really thought about and merely assumed that success came from a job or a family or something to that affect. That suburban family portrait with two well behaved children and a vegetable garden in the backyard. I’ve always assumed that this was the end I was supposed to aim for.

I’m not sure any of us (us being those fresh out of high school or about to finish) have really been given any other options for our lives besides the to pursue the best possible means to accumulate money, and to achieve that perfect family, or live a life fueled by luxury. This is the only option we’re ever given, and we’re expected to take it. The only way we can be fulfilled and happy is to pay thousands of dollars for a slip of paper saying you know a thing or two, and then spend the rest of your days to get enough money to fill your house with televisions and children.

I suppose one to criticize me and say that you actually may want that kind of life. My only point is that at what point along the line were we ever told that we could have something else besides that? How can we know what we want if all the other options are hidden from us? I believe that each of us has something they want out of life, and it can’t be determined by some general outline given to us by our parents and the media.

At 18 no one really knows what they want. And I believe society takes advantage of that and gives us a arbitrary definition of success and tells us to chase after it. I’m not suggesting that you drop out of school or anything. We just need to stop taking everything we hear as truth.

Oh, and I thought this comic was relevent: http://www.happletea.com/2009/08/14/drapery/