Monthly Blog AP English 2 "Life, Death, and Acceptance"

            Two things that nobody really knows about me is my viewpoints on life and death. Here is my philosophy, Life is a gift, and it's your decision what to do with that gift, not someone else's decision. Just because people, whether it be relatives, friends, or strangers, tell you what to do, doesn't mean you have to do it. Follow your own heart, mind, and soul. You shouldn't care what other people think, you have around 80 years on this planet, as long as you have good morals, live your life anyway that makes you happy. Everyone eventually dies on planet earth, there is no fountain of youth or immortal blessing, so make the best out of it.

             Sounds simple and heartwarming right? Wrong. Society has something else to say about what you believe in. Whether it be the corrupt individual or sad excuse of a human-being that likes to crush others, society always seems to be bringing people down. Like Frank Sinatra sang "As funny as it may seem, some people get their kicks stomping on a dream". What could be more horrible and cruel than crushing someone's passion and soul? That's the problem with our society, nobody can be their true selves, because they feel like they won't be accepted. Acceptance has always been a huge desire of people, no matter the cost at times, whether it is playing the part or losing your identity entirely. These ideas of life and death are always there, but acceptance is also found in almost every book or reading we have examined, and it's shocking when you realize it. Characters are always guilty of conforming their true ways to be accepted, because our social selves become more important than our real selves. For example in the novel The Fountainhead, Peter Keating revolved around acceptance, he even disregarded his passion for painting, just to please his mother.

             There is nothing more beautiful than an innocent child's mind, so carefree and unaware of the future that lies ahead. This somewhat magical concept dies so suddenly in our youth, because we have to grow up so fast, determine who we are so quickly, and it all flies by in a couple of years. Sure it would be easier if kids today just went to school, learned, socialized, and left, but there is more than that. There are a million ideas and concepts going on in a person's mind and life, like bullying, passion, friends, feelings, studying, exercising, social standpoints, the future, the list just goes on forever. I'm 17 years old and I still am not entirely sure of what I'm going to do with the rest of my life, but I know one thing for sure. I am going to follow my passion, marry a girl that I love with all my heart, have kids to carry on my legacy, and die with pride and happiness that I lived my life one-hundred percent the way I wanted to. I don't care if there is something waiting for me on the other side of death, just as long as I lived a good life and was the best person I could have possibly been, that is all that matters. I just wish more people would have that same viewpoint. One last comment to strengthen my entire speech here, I enjoyed writing this passage, even though its a requirement and will be eventually graded, I don't care what the grade is or what other people think about it, because all I care about what I think about my own work.