My life has been on a path, and I am scared to change course. I am afraid to open the door and jump out of the car without knowing what is there to brace my fall. It could be a cushion of success or a hole filled with sharp rocks and mistakes. Ultimately, I want to be successful and happy with my life, but I am unsure if I am taking the right course. I am content with my foreseen path, but every now and then, I catch myself starting to question if this path is the right way to my destination.
The saying “If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans,” presumably means that life is inevitably not going to go the way you want it to, which I have arguably accepted. On the other hand, I have a concrete plan, or more of a partially wet concrete plan, of how I want my life to unfold, and I am hoping I am traveling the right one so God will not find me comical.
High School
On average, people die at the age of 76. We only attend high school 1/19 of our entire lives, but for some universal reason, it may be the most crucial part of our lives.
My whole high school “career,” I have been on the same path. Achieve a 4.0 or above, play varsity softball, and devote a tremendous amount of time with friends and family before I “grow up.” People have been telling me my whole life that high school is effortlessly easier than life after my teenage years, but I am starting to oppose that propaganda.
High school, I believe, is the most stressful and crucial part of our lives. It dictates and controls your path, all while trying to throw you out of the car. All I can try to do is pray the 4.0, varsity softball, friends, and family-disguised seatbelt will keep me from falling into the potentially mistake-filled pothole.
College
Some are scared of spiders and the dark, but I am scared of college (okay, maybe I am afraid of the dark and spiders too, but that’s not the point). College. I’m terrified. My path is toward the University of Michigan, and then to dental school. I’m not scared of the work ahead of me; I’m scared of the what-ifs.
What if I pick the wrong college? What if there’s a better one for me? What if I don’t get in? That is a terrifyingly likely possibility. What if I put myself on the wrong path? There are so, so, so many things that make me want to jump out of the car, but I am more worried that something will push me out instead.
Before I Die
From movies to TV shows, we all see the child reject the family business; they want to find their own path. I live in no movie, so I want to pursue the family business. I want to be a part of Robinson Dental. Profession-wise—that’s my destination. I just hope that this path is the right one for me. As I said, I want to be successful, and in my eyes, Robinson Dental is my best chance.
I hope that I am on the right path and that nothing will be impactful enough to push me off completely.
