A generation full of those who, “can’t wait”
I am tired of hearing about how you “can’t wait to get out of this town” or how you “can’t wait for this year to be over.” Now, I understand that there are milestones in life that are exciting and feel long overdue, like graduating after years of hard work or marrying your college sweetheart. However, I've started to notice that my generation desires to skip the little events in life in order to reach some point later on in life. I believe that today we too often get caught up in what boxes we have to check off to be successful, that we don’t stop to enjoy what each point in life has to offer and teach us.
I was not immune to this mindset however, while in high school I too found myself getting caught up in the desire to grow up and do as I pleased. It was not until after I graduated high school that I realized a huge chapter of my life was coming to an end the day I crossed that stage.I had to come to terms with the fact that nothing would be the same, there were things that I never got the chance to do and no longer had the opportunity to. With that said, when I started my freshman year of college I vowed to myself to take advantage of everyday and not live in fast forward.
One year later as I drove home from my first year at the University of Florida I thought about all the things I was able to do, the people I met, and the memories I had made. I am thankful that instead of spending the whole day watching Netflix wasting my day I would only watch a few episodes of Grey’s THEN I would make something of my day. I said yes to randomly driving 2 hours to find a beach, I made trips to see friends at other schools, and took advantage of what the University of Florida and Gainesville has to offer. Of course there were days spent in the library that could have gone by faster but everyday taught me something different and I was able to drive away for the summer knowing I had made the most of my year.
All in all, this year of not waiting has taught me a few things I want to pass on. First off, waiting for something to change does not work, if you are unhappy you must make the change not wait for the change to happen. While a different city or period in life brings new adventures it also brings new challenges and it’s up to you to have a positive mindset. Second lesson, take classes to raise your education not your GPA. Take courses that make you work and learn but than what it takes to pass the exam. Lastly, make the most of everyday, call your parents every chance you get, do more to stay in touch with friends than just liking their photos, keep your worries small because they will only continue to grow, and most importantly live life in the moment and not in anticipation.
