Shards of Sanity
Prologue
You never really notice how beautiful the outside world is until you’re no longer a part of it. All of those little aspects that make up the world of which you see just don’t seem that important to you when you’ve got your social life or academic life to worry about.
That tiny ladybug that crawls along the emerald leaf in your front yard, if you even notice it, is just another insect among billions, maybe even trillions right? Who knows how many bugs there are, but you know that they are always going to be around. You don’t appreciate bugs for what they are because those insects are a part of everyday life. That by no means suggests that you should feel an intense burning passion of love for bugs (I personally hate them) but taking more notice to your surroundings would be a great way to broaden your mind.
Maybe you take for granted the fact that you have a room to go and relax in or that nice bed to sleep in. Some people don’t even have a bed because they are out on the streets sleeping in cardboard boxes instead, not by choice but by circumstance. You might never be forced by fate to live a life of poverty, but wouldn’t it help to be a bit more thankful for the clean sheets on your bed or that hot meal on your plate at 6:00 pm?
Or perhaps you’re too caught up in maintaining that 4.0 GPA and racking up the extracurricular activities. Maybe getting into Princeton is your goal in life, but with an acceptance rate of about 8% do you really stand a chance? Maybe, but probably not unless you’re a super genius with five leadership positions and an internship at a big company. If you’ve got the drive, all power to you and I hope you reach that goal but that will never be me.
Most likely your social life is your biggest concern. Friends are important, don’t get me wrong but you need to be able to stand on your own two legs as well. Without friends we’d be lonely and bored. Our friends are our companions and confidants. We need them and they need us. Sometimes we listen to them and sometimes they listen to us. Friendships must be give and take or they will fall apart. Friends are often the only element keeping us from falling off the edge and without them, we might fall into a state of despair. I know how that feels because that’s where I am now.
I wish I had realized sooner how beautiful the outside world was before I became detached from it. Now, I’d give anything just to be able to lie down in the grass staring at clouds and finding their shapes with a friend just like you could be doing right now like I used to before something so innocent seemed out of place in my life.
That tiny ladybug that crawls along the emerald leaf in your front yard, if you even notice it, is just another insect among billions, maybe even trillions right? Who knows how many bugs there are, but you know that they are always going to be around. You don’t appreciate bugs for what they are because those insects are a part of everyday life. That by no means suggests that you should feel an intense burning passion of love for bugs (I personally hate them) but taking more notice to your surroundings would be a great way to broaden your mind.
Maybe you take for granted the fact that you have a room to go and relax in or that nice bed to sleep in. Some people don’t even have a bed because they are out on the streets sleeping in cardboard boxes instead, not by choice but by circumstance. You might never be forced by fate to live a life of poverty, but wouldn’t it help to be a bit more thankful for the clean sheets on your bed or that hot meal on your plate at 6:00 pm?
Or perhaps you’re too caught up in maintaining that 4.0 GPA and racking up the extracurricular activities. Maybe getting into Princeton is your goal in life, but with an acceptance rate of about 8% do you really stand a chance? Maybe, but probably not unless you’re a super genius with five leadership positions and an internship at a big company. If you’ve got the drive, all power to you and I hope you reach that goal but that will never be me.
Most likely your social life is your biggest concern. Friends are important, don’t get me wrong but you need to be able to stand on your own two legs as well. Without friends we’d be lonely and bored. Our friends are our companions and confidants. We need them and they need us. Sometimes we listen to them and sometimes they listen to us. Friendships must be give and take or they will fall apart. Friends are often the only element keeping us from falling off the edge and without them, we might fall into a state of despair. I know how that feels because that’s where I am now.
I wish I had realized sooner how beautiful the outside world was before I became detached from it. Now, I’d give anything just to be able to lie down in the grass staring at clouds and finding their shapes with a friend just like you could be doing right now like I used to before something so innocent seemed out of place in my life.
♠ ♠ ♠
Let me know what you think? :)