We all jumped into puddles as children. We put on our little yellow boots and our little crayon-colored raincoats and went jumping into the sea of puddles after the rain. The goal was to make the biggest splash, and we didn’t understand the obligations and burdens that we saw adults carrying around with them. The world was far too big for us to feel anything but curiosity and excitement, and we were not dulled out by it just yet. Its pressure had not caught up to us. Until now, that is.
As soon as learning to read and taking tests became a priority, jumping into puddles lost its place in the spotlight. Little joys stopped serving a purpose, so the activities that were once the highlights of our day were moved to the bottom of our to-do lists. We still wanted to do them, and we might have even cried, begged, and bargained with our parents for the chance. But eventually, we learned to prioritize other things.
We trudge forward into the unknown, prodded by our parents and teachers, by the thought of failure, or vague societal notions of what we should want. Thus, the shift from pursuing our genuine passions to prioritizing our future successes raises an important question about the essence of our pursuits. Are we running toward a goal defined by others, or creating a path that aligns with what we want?
The desire to excel in structured pursuits shifted our priorities, and as extracurriculars overtook genuine interests, we became accustomed to working toward the end goal. Junior Nizhoni Deschene said, “I see my passion for skateboarding as an art form, and something I could perfect without pressure to be the best or to be better than others.” He continued, “I grew to be more competitive and ambitious, and skateboarding lacked the potential to build a future for me.” In his decision to focus less on skateboarding lies a universal struggle of delicately balancing an uncertain future and personal fulfillment.
Junior Lawson Bracey aspires to be a neurosurgeon. He said, “I use cooking as a way of distraction from the weight of expectations and the relentless pressure to excel.” His main focus is surgery, and with everything he does, he has the hospital in the back of his mind. Yet, he finds a way to weave in his passion for making food while also focusing on his future goals. He does not pick one thing over the other, yet he integrates them and makes time for both of the things that make him happy.
As we go about our lives, a true priority becomes clear: avoid losing sight of the present. Reveling in laughter has to remain as big a priority as academic success. We should not forget that the pursuit of our future must align with the things that truly make us feel alive. Next time you push your passions to the side for things that you might feel are more important in the distant future, do not lose sight of what you want to prioritize in the now.
