“Perhaps it seemed to me that I had several more lives to live, and
could not spare any more time for that one. It is remarkable how easily and
insensibly we fall into a particular route, and make a beaten track for
ourselves.”
This quote really
stood out to me as I read the passages from Walden. It is interesting to think
that as humans grow from children to adults, we go through so many stages of
life. We may even be able to call such time periods different lives that we
live. The person one is at the age of four is (good thing) not the person that
one is at the age of 14 and the same for 20.
As I entered
college, this was a thought that rushed through my head time and time again.
Every few years it was a different school: elementary, middle, high school, and
now college—different adventures. But what’s next? After four years I will
graduate (hopefully) and start my career. Four years after I’ll still be
chugging along with my career. Four years after that, what will be new?
For these reasons,
this quote really stood out to me. I have known my path and where I was going
since I was a toddler: preschool, elementary school, middle school, high
school, college. And then? We go through all of this constant change to seek
consistency. We strive for a steady job, a steady income, a steady life. Don’t
we? Or is that just what we are told?
If we all
accomplished such a life, wouldn’t we all be bored out of minds? Robots that go
through the motions of the same thing everyday.
When I grow up, I
want to be…? For years I have answered this question with, “A teacher,” but I
think I would like to change my answer. When I grow up, I would like to be a
teacher among many other things. I don’t know what the next few decades will
bring as far as professions, but I do know that I would also like to live different
lives. I would like to remember not to be scared to live different lives. I think
what I want to be when I “grow up” is happy. If being a teacher makes me happy
then I want to be a teacher. If one day it stops making me happy, I hope that I
have the courage to start a new life.
If my life becomes
one of a beaten track, I am ok with that. Consistency is ok with me in
moderation. I want to explore this world, but I also want to have a base, a
calling, I need to know who I am, and if I spend my life living too many lives,
couldn’t I lose that?
This quote makes
me think and reevaluate my dreams for my future. It gives me hope and courage, but
it also gives me a realization of what I want with my future. And that is to be
happy! Thanks, Walden.
Thanks for responding to the Thoreau passage. It's one of my favorites.
ReplyDeleteMary Lauren,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading this post and how thought provoking it was. Reflecting on the different stages of life, it scares me to think of being the same person without growth past college. I am a person that enjoys change and bettering myself and being inconsistent from day to day. This is probably why I am involved in so many activities. I enjoy being a “skister” to my friends, a cheerleader to the school, a dedicated student to my teachers… yes these lives do not always match up, but they are so much more enjoyable than living one life. Or it can also be argued that I am so indecisive that I do not know exactly who I am or who I want to be! Which takes me to the idea of my career past college. Personally, I absolutely love learning. Being intrigued by new information is something that makes me happy. I hope that in my career I am able to do this- possibly by the spark of new medical information or personal medical discoveries in my life in the medical field. It might also require that I live many lives in my adult stage of life. Maybe I will have the opportunity of bettering myself by my husbands advice, or learning about life through toddler talk of my daughter or learning more about my society by observing the culture of another country. Who knows where this life will take me, but I agree that happiness is what I am striving for. And living multiple lives in every stage of life, might be my key.
Hey Mary Lauren!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the awesome post. It was so interesting to see how this quote applies to your life and how you related it to your career. I remember once that we had a conversation about this, I think you told me you wanted to specialize in special education, is that right? I feel like through this post you covered so many of my own thoughts as well. I don't think I even know exactly what I would like to do after college, but I certainly can see myself kind of just going wherever life takes me. I feel that I will go from place to place, in search of wherever life needs me. I can't really see myself staying in one place all my life, after all, I've already been to many different places for my education. It doesn't seem right to just stick in one place after it either. It makes life after college really exciting! I'm excited for the adventures you will take in your life too!
I love this post, Mary Lauren! I had never thought about how much we strive for stability and consistency in our lives by constantly changing ourselves. It seems paradoxical, but it's not at all. I like how, even though you know in what direction you wish to take your life, you seem to be okay with that path to have some twists and turns and bumps along the way. I also completely agree with your ultimate point. My goal, no matter what else happens, is just to be happy as I progress through life. It's a simple goal, really, but one that is not considered nearly as much as it should be!
ReplyDeleteVery thought provoking post, Mary Lauren! It's kind of scary to think about the future so far ahead, because like you said, we've had our lives almost planned out for us until this point by society. It is truly daunting thinking about the different paths we can take throughout our lives. I've even learned from my conversation partner that our paths can a sharp turn when you don't even see it coming. I've found myself reevaluating my life and its possibilities while reading Thoreau and Emerson, and I'm glad that you feel the same way!
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