Life is like sailing on a ship. Every day we are faced with new challenges and problems to overcome, some small waves, and some huge storms. There are simple challenges, such as finishing a homework assignment, and there are more complex challenges, such as running for president. And the time period one lives in influences many of these series of challenges and events. The responsibilities of a two year old are different from the responsibilities of a fifty year old, and the duties of a squire are different from the duties of a serf. But when it comes down to it, these separating factors are of little importance, because no matter what social standing one has, everyone has their own specific journey to venture on.
Last year, when I was in eighth grade, I auditioned for the middle school musical available at my school with some of my friends. Considering the fact that I am the worst singer ever, I was fully prepared to play the part of a rock or fallen tree branch or something. And I was not too far off. But I didn’t audition for the play expecting the lead role, I did because it was fun and different and I could have the experience.
Every individual embarks upon their own journey of seeing aspects of life with a new perspective. Some people perceive a journey as traveling to a specific place, and by definition, this is what a journey is. Yet it is so much more. A journey of the mind determines what kind of person someone is, and how they deal with the problems and challenges life throws at them. As people get older, they often learn how their past experiences have molded them into the person they are today, and prepare for the inevitable future experiences that will serve as landmarks as they continue their life journey. Turns in a journey can be represented by rites of passage ceremonies such as a Bar Mitzvah, confirmation, or a “Sweet 16” party. They serve as symbols for how far one has come and how much is still left to understand, experience and embark upon.
I was chosen to be one of the flowers in that eighth grade play. I had two short lines in the entire production, the least amount of lines out of everyone. I had two paths I could take with this. I could be upset and therefore deliver the lines with little enthusiasm or care, or I could work hard to make sure I said the lines in a way that perfectly fit the character. The journey of life is that simple: make the most out of what life packages up and delivers to you. This is the point of Bar Mitzvahs, confirmation ceremonies, and “Sweet 16” parties. They are symbols of how you grew and learned, and how you will continue to do so. They allow you to take the two short lines you were given and use them to blow the audience away.
I can’t say where exactly my journey is leading to, as this is simply irrelevant. The journey is important because it allows one to see and understand how to deal with a situation, and there is no real destination. Ultimately you can choose to say your two short lines in a monotone voice and speed to get them over with, or you can choose to make your two lines the best lines in the whole play. I chose to make the best of these lines, and I am fully content with this decision. Even though it was a small moment in the painting of life, it was an essential piece that has guided me in what I get out of experiences. In conclusion, think it is a moment that captures what my journey has been about. And I am writing to you to ask just one simple, yet complex, question: How do you recite your two, simple lines in the play?