Back to Your Roots

We live in a fast pace world. Things change without us noticing. We change.

When we reach success, save it as a checkpoint and go back to your roots. Reflect. Reminisce. Moving forward is good but looking back once in a while keeps you humble, grounded. Too much success drowns.

They say adolescence and young adulthood is confusing, that you don't find yourself till 30 or late. Well, I think childhood IS you. Adolescence and young adulthood is you trying to adapt to society, difficult because you are trying to filter what you like and what you don't, but what you don't like might just be the very thing they're trying to instill into us; and when you reach it, it is society in you and you are far from the original you.

Are you conformed or are you still you?

P.S. Change is good but change for a better you; not be molded by others.

Stay rooted,

Denise

A Reaction

As I replay past conversations in my head, this particular exchange struck me and I ponder what caused this reaction and why. Now, hear me out:

A coursemate was struggling in our course and was comtemplating on a switch. While it might or might not be a successful transfer, she draws out a Plan B: to drop out and learn a skill; preferably in the field of nail art and daint beauty.

Now, what caught my attention in my memories was that I was shocked at such a bold statement and there were a conscious effort to control my expression and picking carefully words of my reply. Why was there an effort to control my expression and words? Why am I shocked? Why did it caused such aa reaction?

You see, I come from a family whose parents, I believe, to be a tad traditional. Hereby I mean children are put under high expectations, study hard, graduate and a job with a good pay which will give you a reputation and aquaintances of similar status. Sort of like in the Elizabethan Era and Victorian or any other society. Except class movement are a little less rigid. Upward moves are allowed, providing that the individual is willing to sacrifice time, youth, joy and sunshine to get to the top. On top of that, I'm chinese. So it will be like 'little Denise, you have to study hard and honour our family name'. Well, not literally, my parents don't say that, but, you get my idea...

Dropping out from school and suppressing surprise. Why? I am well aware of people, although most are of above average intelligence, dropping out of school and be successful. Well, success is an objective and vague term. Some may argue the defination of success. So let me rephrase, folks dropping out of school and making fortune. There! It's money again. The people of this age is so materialistic that at the end of the day, money is the main issue again.

I guess that's what cause that reaction. A skill, especially in nail art, it seems just...so...basic payed on the surface. Without the multiples of clients a day and whatnots. What was installed in my head since young was that only good education will bring you furthur. Sure, good education adds boosts to our leaps, but skills, it solidifies our steps. We might not go about bounding and leaping with skills, but it's like a solid ground beneath every step. Isn't it?

If you ponder on it, books and skills, books are just words and theories--far from real life; and skills are, well, skills! Readily applicable in the occupational world! Isn't it?

Well, my hypothesis (if I may put it this way) and deductions might not be most agreeable, but it is open for debate. I'm a person of books and word-for I major in literature, a subject of fantasy and disregarded by many, (I've seen their scrunched expression upon recieving the knowledge, so, I know) so yeah! Leave some words!

Cheers,
Denise

Self Censorship

What can be said, what is best kept hidden.

Society today...
We fear too much of offending others.
We worry too much about opinions of others.
We care too much of what others might think of us.

We care... ...too much - to the extend that we can't have selfless fun without regretting.
We have to protect the image, our reputation.
Our pride, our name.

The condemning mouth of society.
Which will spat at you if you give it a chance.
No leeway, no second chances.
That's how it goes.

Well, at least that's how I think it goes...