Every time anyone asks what I am majoring in, I cringe slightly before telling them that I am studying English. Some people take a second of hesitation before they say "Well that sounds like the worst thing possible to me." I generally respond "Really? That's how I feel about science majors." I continue to laugh it off and go on with my day. Some people, though, immediately ask me what I want to do with my major. I respond with a shrug, implying that I really have no idea, and then comes the dreaded "that isn't a very popular field nowadays."
I have gotten a lot of dirty looks and a lot of doubtful comments on my decision to go into what is considered a dying field. But, I would rather do the extra work and have a career I absolutely love than have an easier time getting a job I am significantly less excited about.
I decided to study English, not for any sensible or logical reason, not because it is a growing field with a guaranteed job right after graduation, and definitely not because English majors have the highest salaries. I decided to study English because I am passionate about it. I love when you realize that a thought or idea you had at one time is not just your thought or idea, but rather, a universal one. I love when you read something so well written that you can't help but see it played out in your mind. I decided to study English because writing is the best way I express how I feel or think I should feel.
I write because there is nothing that is off limits, and there is virtually nothing that hasn't been written about before. Writing is a way for me to sort out my thoughts, and reading is the easiest way to turn my brain off and focus on the book in front of me. English is not a major that came out of the blue for me; it has always been something I loved since I was a little girl.
One of my favorite quotes is by author Kurt Vonnegut. He says, "Go into the arts. I'm not kidding. The arts are not a way to make a living. They are a very human way of making life more bearable."
English is my way of making life more bearable. It is a very simple and beautiful way to express how I see the world and compare it to how greater minds see the world.
I know I have not made the most sensible decision for a career I want to pursue, but I have decided to pursue what I love. Being an English major is never work for me, homework is never annoying, and studying is never a hassle. I love what I have decided to study, whether or not the rest of the world agrees, and I am pursuing the simplest way for me to find joy in the everyday.
