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Society’s pessimism clouds dreams, futures |
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Thursday, 28 February 2008 |
Pessimism seems to have become the native language of Western adults.
Every time I turn around I can hear the world screaming at me, “you can’t do that, because it isn’t a real job, or it won’t make money.”
When I go out with my girlfriends I hear them say “no” after they are given a compliment and instead they say, “I look terrible or I’m getting fat.”
My question is, when did we as a society become so negative?
I remember a time when everything was good - when your mom was the most beautiful woman in the
world.
I remember the days when I was going to be president, and on some days I was going to be an
astronaut.
Then there were those magnificent days when I was going to be both, along with being a football
player, an actress, a teacher, a fire fighter, my dad and my mom.
When I was asked what I wanted to do by my drawing teacher on my first day of college, I responded
with “photojournalist for National Geographic.”
His immediate response was that I should think of something new because that was like getting into
the NBA.
My thought to respond, although I never said it, was “Michael Jordan is from my city.”
Why shouldn’t we reach for a slam-dunk in life?
Michael Jordan sat the bench his entire freshman year in high school.
The world is working against the dreamers - the people who want to be president and football players,
the people who know they can make it in anything they want to do.
A friend of mine was wearing the most inspiring earrings I had ever seen. They said, “Well behaved
women never make history.”
Our society is telling us to go to college, get a job, get a house, get married, have kids, and have them
repeat the same cycle again.
I don’t think there is anything wrong with this choice of life, if that is what you want to do.
But what about life for all of us dreamers and adventurers?
When will it be ok for people who don’t want to go to college to take a year off or never go at all?
When will we accept the not-so-steady job? More importantly, when will we accept simply being happy
as enough?
I want to be able to tell somebody that I want to travel the world without them saying I need a job first
and should travel later.
I want to see an adventurer or a traveler come in for career day at an elementary school, not just an
accountant.
I want to encourage youth to break the rules - to make their own history.
Instead of somebody asking me what major I am or what I do when they meet me, I want them to ask
me who I am.
When someone gives you a compliment, the response should be a pleasant “thanks.”
And when I wake up in the morning I want it to be normal to say, “Wow, this is going to be an amazing
day.”
Point out the positive things.
Fight against pessimism.
But most importantly, live your dreams and don’t listen to the world when they say you can’t.
If you do, you’ll never make history.
Lindsay Diedrich, a freshman undecided major from Southport, is an intern lifestyles reporter.
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