The Beaten Path is Beating Fast

When I naively pictured my last semester senior year, this is generally the image I conjured up:

I have achieved a 6.0 GPA and therefore no longer need to worry about grades or classes. However, as an enlightened intellectual, I still attend classes regularly for the purpose of raining my knowledge and wisdom upon the masses. I wake up at noon every day, fix a healthy lunch, go for a nice jog, and spend the afternoon developing a new hobby of my choosing (preferably underwater basket weaving). 

Evenings are spent with friends, and nights are one big Gatsby-like party. I am Jay Gatsby now. This is Monday through thursday. Fridays and Saturdays are reserved for weekend getaways to exotic locations and cities to soak up the club scenes and nightlife. Sundays are meant for chinese food and movies.

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Sadly, my life is not even close to Jay Gatsby. Picture how short that novel would have been if Gatsby picked up a glass of champaign and ended up on alcohol probation. This is my senior year. In this sense I can relate to Jay’s era of Prohibition.

I’m sure I’m not the only present senior feeling this sense of disillusionment. Days are spent treading the deep water of classes and work. Nights are spent studying. Every extra second is spent searching for a job for a fear that our worst nightmares come to fruition and we find we’ve spent around $100,000 only to move back in with our parents and seek employment at the local Starbucks. Considering the nearest Starbucks is 45 minutes from my parents’ home, this option seems improbable. 

I’m stuck on the idea that my generation collectively operates from our passions. We were told for roughly 21 years that we can do anything we want and our passions, combined with the perfect job, would lead us to happiness. What society waited to tell us until year 22 is that A) Your passions may not pay off student debt or make your grandmother proud; and B) There are approximately one billion college seniors who are gunning for the same passion as you.

Stepping away from these negative notions, I think my generation is a winner. Why would so many of us aim for professions at NGOs, nonprofit organizations and save-the-world ventures? We are generally not motivated by a paycheck or a fancy title; we need purpose. At least, we think we do until we realize we must conform to society’s motivational tactics in order to prosper. 

However, company’s and organizations all over the world are springing up that recognize an emerging generation motivated by meaning. These places get shit done; they’re creative, inventive and progressive.

Now, if one of them would just hire me….

whatshouldwecallme:

In the beginning:

Second Semester Senior Year:

“George Carlin’s wife died early in 2008 and George followed her, dying in July 2008. It is ironic George Carlin - comedian of the 70’s and 80’s - could write something so very eloquent and so very appropriate. An observation by George Carlin:

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

We’ve learned how to make a living, but not a life. We’ve added years to life not life to years. We’ve been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We’ve done larger things, but not better things.

We’ve cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We’ve conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We’ve learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete.

Remember to spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever.

Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.

Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn’t cost a cent.

Remember, to say, ‘I love you’ to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you.

Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again.

Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.

And always remember, life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by those moments that take our breath away.”