The "Right" Way to Do Things
Normality
I have a million and two thoughts racing through my head right now, but I think I'm going to start this blog off by talking about a book. And it might seem silly at first but I promise there's a point to talking about this book. The book I'm going to mention here is "Paper Towns" by John Green. I know you're probably rolling your eyes, but you know, sometimes I drift away from the normal genres that I tend to read and find myself reading books that all teenage girls are reading. (AKA: anything by John Green.)
In "Paper Towns," a girl named Margo mentions that the rules for capitalization are incredibly unfair to the words in the center of a sentence and are not a proper noun. I think I agree with her. Why don't We Type like This? Because there are rules. And rules are normality. And we're all so used to normality that when we begin to detach from it, we find that we are uncomfortable.
In life, there seems to be a "right" way to go about all things. There's an order, you see. And if anyone does something out of order, it's considered wrong, such as pregnancy before marriage. But there could be a perfectly good explanation as to why the people who conceived the child aren't married. Maybe they just don't want to be married. Why isn't that answer good enough?
Because, you see, people are dying to graduate high school.
And dying to move out.
And dying to go to college.
And dying to find a partner.
And dying to have kids.
And dying to find a good job to send their kids through the same cycle.
And dying to retire.
And, it's just that I'm wondering when I'll get the chance to live.
To be perfectly honest, I don't see the point of staying in high school other than I won't be able to get into college without graduating. And that doesn't make much sense, does it? Because I don't exactly do much at school. I only have 2 real classes out of the 6 that I attend.
And I have no interest in staying in-state for college. There is so much of the world that I have yet to see. Staying in one place for too long feels suffocating. I want to explore.
I want to have a job that I like. I don't want a desk job. I refuse to ever have one. I'd like a job where I can travel or talk to people or find new things. I want to help people or write or do something that'll matter.
And maybe I'll have a husband and kids. And maybe I won't. But I know that no boy is going to follow me around the world and a few years ago, that thought would've terrified me, but I've learned so much about myself and I've realized that I'll be okay exploring the world on my own.
My mind just doesn't grasp the concept of having a small life. I want to do things. I really dislike routine and that's all life is right now. It's the same routine every day: Wake up; go to my classes; come home; do homework; sleep; repeat. No part of this lifestyle is interesting to me.
Stop Being Judgmental
Another thing that I've come to discover is that humans are awfully judgmental. And I don't want to be that way. I now realize that each person has a story and that they matter. How cool is that? Each person you meet has been though amazing things and heartbreaking things and they've seen parts of the world that you haven't. So why on earth would you judge the way someone acts or dresses or talks?
Try asking questions. I have a tattoo and I love it when people ask me what it means because the meaning behind it is huge. The tattoo is on the back of my neck and says "Redemp†ion". I got it because I love my God and my religion is what helped me get through some really horrific times in my life.
Redemption means to restore worth or value. Didn't I do that when I decided not to quit on life?
If you don't understand the way someone dresses or the way they do their hair or why they prefer a different sexuality or religion than you do, just ask. Questions are okay. Being judgmental is not.
Do What Makes You Happy
Too often in life, people do things to please others. Please don't do that.
I see kids go to the college of their dad's choice.
Or play the sport their mom loved.
Or go somewhere they didn't want to go because their friend asked them to.
Stop it. It's your life. Make your own decisions. Make decisions that will make you happy even if it's out of the ordinary.
Take a gap year if you please. Go into fashion design instead of marine biology. Find a lame apartment in a cool city and sit on the streets and talk to people who pass by.
You only have so long on this planet and you can't spend your time worrying about whether your decisions won't be "right" enough to please society.
I'm not sure what will happen to me or the rest of my life. But I do know that whatever choices I make, I will choose for me because only I know what truly makes me happy. And I know that's something we can all agree on: happiness is the real prize in this life.
And I have no interest in staying in-state for college. There is so much of the world that I have yet to see. Staying in one place for too long feels suffocating. I want to explore.
I want to have a job that I like. I don't want a desk job. I refuse to ever have one. I'd like a job where I can travel or talk to people or find new things. I want to help people or write or do something that'll matter.
And maybe I'll have a husband and kids. And maybe I won't. But I know that no boy is going to follow me around the world and a few years ago, that thought would've terrified me, but I've learned so much about myself and I've realized that I'll be okay exploring the world on my own.
My mind just doesn't grasp the concept of having a small life. I want to do things. I really dislike routine and that's all life is right now. It's the same routine every day: Wake up; go to my classes; come home; do homework; sleep; repeat. No part of this lifestyle is interesting to me.
Stop Being Judgmental
Another thing that I've come to discover is that humans are awfully judgmental. And I don't want to be that way. I now realize that each person has a story and that they matter. How cool is that? Each person you meet has been though amazing things and heartbreaking things and they've seen parts of the world that you haven't. So why on earth would you judge the way someone acts or dresses or talks?
Try asking questions. I have a tattoo and I love it when people ask me what it means because the meaning behind it is huge. The tattoo is on the back of my neck and says "Redemp†ion". I got it because I love my God and my religion is what helped me get through some really horrific times in my life.
Redemption means to restore worth or value. Didn't I do that when I decided not to quit on life?
If you don't understand the way someone dresses or the way they do their hair or why they prefer a different sexuality or religion than you do, just ask. Questions are okay. Being judgmental is not.
Do What Makes You Happy
Too often in life, people do things to please others. Please don't do that.
I see kids go to the college of their dad's choice.
Or play the sport their mom loved.
Or go somewhere they didn't want to go because their friend asked them to.
Stop it. It's your life. Make your own decisions. Make decisions that will make you happy even if it's out of the ordinary.
Take a gap year if you please. Go into fashion design instead of marine biology. Find a lame apartment in a cool city and sit on the streets and talk to people who pass by.
You only have so long on this planet and you can't spend your time worrying about whether your decisions won't be "right" enough to please society.
I'm not sure what will happen to me or the rest of my life. But I do know that whatever choices I make, I will choose for me because only I know what truly makes me happy. And I know that's something we can all agree on: happiness is the real prize in this life.
-Jordan xx
Twitter: www.twitter.com/Jordan_Winans
YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/jordanashleywinans
Vlogging YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/jordanwinansvlogs
Tumblr: www.battle-wound.com
Instagram: @wtvr.jordan
No comments:
Post a Comment