Before Shia Labeouf randomly appears in my room and drop-kicks me, allow me to explain. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t go out and try to achieve your goals or that you shouldn’t ever dream about a better life. Rather, I’m saying that you should look at reality through a different lense than you do your dreams and goals, that you should consider tempering your expectations whenever you’re about to encounter a dream-like moment for yourself.
Two summers ago I got to go to Australia to compete for the Georgia State Track and Field Team. In doing so, I got a rare opportunity to encounter two of my favorite animals, the first being the mighty and majestic wombat, the second being the cute and cuddly koala. Now, before I explain what happened, I should give some background.
The wombat is, it pains me to say, a pig-like animal that is known for its explosive power and burrowing ability. As it is more comfortable under ground than in the air, it is regularly said that wombats do not like to be picked up. So if you’re going to appreciate a wombat without getting kicked in the stomach by an animal that is known for being explosive, you have to watch it. Koalas -- the adorable, huggable, tree-climbing, leaf-eating marsupials that everyone dreams about being carried -- have fur. They have animal fur, not hair, which means that they aren’t nearly as soft as we like to dream in our minds. Now, does this take away from the animal as a whole? No. But it does make the prospect of holding one a little less dreamy, as rather than having the equivalent of a cloud clinging to you, you have the same amount of softness as your typical dog in your arms.
At the exhibit we got to watch wombats in person which was amazing. This was amazing because I got to see things that I’d only ever watched on a screen in person. I got to see the two little wombats burrow and eat and run--which it’s true that they are very fast for a very short amount of time--and even play with one another. It was everything I thought it would be and it was amazing.
At the exhibit we also got to hold a koala. Now, koalas are adorable little animals that we should work very hard to preserve in this world. But as I waited in line to hold one, I imagined the feeling of holding a cotton ball with arms and legs that looked at me and promised me nothing short of perfection in an animal. This was a mistake. They are amazing little animals, but no creature could ever live up to the expectation I’d created in my mind. Most dramatic among these contrasts is the fact that they aren’t very soft. It was still a great experience, but I can honestly say that I left a little disappointed because one of the experiences that I’d dreamed about since I was a little boy was imperfect. This was because my expectations were too high.
That story is certainly a little childish and can’t be all that serious. But I think it’s a serious issue. We all look at our dreams, and many times we assume they’ll be ideal, that they’ll be perfect. But generally, the world doesn’t just change all because of a single moment. And if you’re expecting it to, it can be really disheartening when your life isn’t suddenly perfect after one little change.
So, for the defense of our ambition and drive, we should all try very hard to keep our expectations within reality. Things in this world can be amazing, but we can only appreciate them if we don’t put them on such a high pedestal that they’re doomed to fall.
