Sunday, September 21, 2008

Choices

Our generation truly is a unique one, as Leila pointed out. We truly face a life of limitless possibilities. We can do anything we want with our lives, we can shape ourselves into whatever/whomever it is we dream to be. Our parents certainly had more choices available to them than did their parents, but it seems to me that we have exponentially more than ours.

I feel that it's not just a matter of having more options available to us though. The world has become vastly interconnected. Our generation has grown up with instant access to a constant stream of information. We are constantly bombarded with sights, sounds, and experiences, and if something bores us, there are a million other experiences waiting for us! So maybe we've developed a sort of Social A.D.D. (ooooh shiny!) I can personally attest to this; it's taking me far longer than it really should to write this post. My attention keeps getting diverted elsewhere. With respect to our choices in life, I think we are finding things that superficially capture our interest, while losing sight of what it is that really drives us.

Making choices has been hard for me, for as long as I can remember. In situations where I could only choose one thing, jobs, relationships, you name it, I never knew what to do. Because, by choosing one thing, I was eliminating other options available to me. I couldn't have both, but I was afraid to not have both. Having options and contingencies is comforting to me. Throwing that all to the wind and choosing one thing, and focusing solely on it is not an easy thing to ask of me. So I've gone through life being wishy-washy, never fully committing to anyone or anything. But I finally realized what it is that really drives me, what I really can see myself doing for the rest of my life.

Photography! Everything else has just been idle interests, things I found fascinating and enjoyed doing. But photography, I can't imagine a life without it now. I've decided to follow my heart and do what I love, money will come somehow.


"Pain shared, my brother, is pain not doubled, but halved. No man is an island."

--Spider from Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman

1 comment:

Amy Sun said...

Interesting thoughts. I've wondered similar things. Am I addicted to having an open mind? Is there some danger in this?

I'm glad you've found what speaks to you! Yay photography!