From when we are young we are encouraged to never fear what other people think, to never allow ourselves to be judged and to be our own person. It is said that life is an individual journey and that we shouldn’t crave the attention or blessing of another. Is this true? Isn’t life simply the strive for attention? For glory? for the approval of another? In our youth we are encouraged to make friends and play nicely, we are encouraged to make other children like us. As we enter into our teenage years we are bombarded with an inordinate amount of pressure. We must be an individual and not conform (which is a bit self defeating as not conforming seems to be the norm nowadays surely making it conformity?). We must have a close-knit circle of peers who will help us through our troubles. We must not drink. We must not smoke. We must not take drugs. We must go to school. The majority must go to college. We must do well. We must be examined. We must pass the exams. We must complete the coursework. We must go out and enjoy our younger years. We should probably get a job and take responsibilty for ourselves. We must maintain a professional manner at all times as we are this country’s next generation and we have to clean up the mess that was created by the generation above us…really? All this for little seventeen year old me? I have nearly 17 hours of exams coming up for my A Levels. There’s coursework on top of that, and work, and being a respectable member of society, and living up to my family’s expectations. I couldn’t possibly go out and celebrate a friend’s birthday, a good mark, pay day. Alright this is slightly off topic, but the basic principle is this: we are told day in, day out not to care what other people think, but then all our life we try to impress others. A cycnical view of marriage is that it is merely a way of being forever accepted by someone else. Caring what someone else thinks. We buy impressive cars and houses to seem respectable. We send our children to good schools to kick start this entire cycle again. We try to prove we are good enough. Please accept me to your university, please! If we are this country’s future shouldn’t you be impressing me? Cynical yes, unrealistic? Not necessarily.
Is it fair to put this much stress on a 17 year old? I’m not legally classes as an adult yet, let me live my childhood. Stop setting the bar too high and acting disgraced when I make a mistake.
I’m only human, I’m only a ‘child’.
Right?
