As I sat on my bed, thinking, the prospect of the future came into mind. The future. The frightening, promising, intimidating future. Where will I be? What will I be doing? Will I be happy? The topic of the future never used to frighten me. I had formulated my life in all of it's entirerity- starting from which college I'd attend, to all the way where I would settle and retire. I was set, confident in the life I, or more likely my parents, had planned out for me. It was safe. Stable. Comfortable. Secure. Oh hell, it was boring.
The people, backgrounds, culture, and society that I have been surrounded by have molded me into a different person. Actually, that person was inside me all along. I just never let it grew until certain influences in life have made me realize it. Now that the idea of myself has been planted, growing into a healthy sproutling, the basis of my whole perception of the future has been turbulently shaken down. I no longer know what my plan is nor am I unafraid anymore. Technically I have many plans, I just don't know which to pick. I guess that's better than having no plan at all right? I'd like to tell myself that. Makes me feel a bit better.
So here I am now. A seventeen year old girl, couped up in her room on a lovely rainy Sunday, laying out what the hell she's gonna do in life. It's a common scene I believe Pure generalization. But anyways, where do I see myself in the future? Im afraid id have to write down more than one scenarios. Shall I start with the boring one, I mean the secure one that my parents had an amazingly high influence on? I find it fitting.
Future 1: (My parents are the stereotypical Asians who wants their kid to be a surprise surprise...doctor or lawyer. This ensures them in the future, knowing that theyll be taken care of properly when theyre back in diapers.) So the plan. No boyfriends and basically no social life so I can graduate high school as a valdictorian or saluditorian with some scholarship for swimming to UC Irvine or Stanford. After my undergrad years, I will resume schooling as a med student striving to become either a.) a cosmetic surgeon (so mother can get free lipo and breast lifts) or b.) a neurologist. I'd work hard and be graduate as top of my class and right after, volunteer in the peace corps. Coming back, I'd work under some of the best doctors in my field then later on open my own business. When my career life is stabled, Id finally date around , find someone who was also a doctor, get married, have three children (2 boys and 1 girl) and raise them in Rhode Island. Id have a large cottegy-esque white house with a quaint porch I can read on during my spare time. It'd between the beach and the woods, oh and I cant forget the dog. A husky, most preferabbly. My kids would then go to the top school and continue the cycle so they, in return, can take care of me, as I financially took care of my parents whod retired in the Phillippines. I'd die comfortable with only one of my passions completed. The End.
Future 2: (the one I want the most, but the one my parents highly dissapprove of) I'd graduate high school, not as a validictorian or anything but with honors still. I actually wouldn't go to a traditional college but more of an art school per se. I'd stay with my current bf (which my parents don't neccassarily know about yet do. It's complicated) and go to SF FIDM and take the Fashion Merchandising and Business course while he goes to SF state. We'd possibly live together, depending on if it works out. If it does, I really do plan on marrying him and having kids with him, 2 is what I'd prefer. I know I'm too young to be thinking of that but this is the future after all. Anyways, he'd probably some kind of a doctor and hopefully I'd be working for a highly paid store, not sure exactly which one though. Oh and I see myself living in NY after having my first kid. I'd also want to join the peace corps when my children are all grown up. I don't know, this future is hard to explain. So forgive me if this one seems clattered.
Future 3: This one is almost like Future 2 except i'd go to FIT in NY instead of FIDM in SF. Id take the same course as Future 2 but take the study abroad opputunity they offer at FIT. This undoubtedly would affect my relationship with my significant other so the marriage part in this is higly unlikely. I'll probably end up going back abroad and living somewhere like Milan or London, where I'd find my rich future husband. I'd start a charity with his money and volunteer around the world.
Future 4: It'd start of the same as Future 2 also but instead of going to art school, Id go to SF state as an undergrad and then transfer to UCSF to become a pyschiatrist, which I honestly wouldnt mind and also my parents wouldn't mind either.I'd see if it'd work out with my bf again. If so then marriage, if not Id move to wherever i'd get a high paying job such as a rehab center for those rich people. They always need help. Id join the peace corps proabably when Im older. This is the most likely one to happen I think.
I've planned out more other little futures but these are the top 4, either to happen or what I'd want to happen the most. Of course each one would have more complex details in it but if you want to get right down to the bone, well then that's it.
As I reread all my so called future plans, I realized that my life may never even get to that. To the future that is. I can't rule out death as a plan, unless I was a demigod which I'm unfortunately not, since we all will meet that future one day. Now you see, as much as it terrifies me not to, I've decided that our futures shouldnt be planned. At least not our whole life story. I should enjoy the present of the present. I've been so worried about what's going TO happen that I barely enjoy what's happening NOW. Not saying that you shouldnt outline ahead, this matter is more personal than general.
I'm not sure. Who is sure? If you are, well then drinks on the house for you. But life truly is about the journey, the means and events of how you get from point A to point B all the way around to point Z. Not on the fact that achieved getting to point whatever. Yes it's a cliche, but sometimes cliches are the best way to explain things eh?