Freedom?

Today I watched my cousin graduate high school; I watched her walk across the stage and accept her diploma. All the while she was smiling and giddy; just like any graduate should be. I remember ‘back in the day’ when I myself walked across a very similar stage to accept my high school diploma. I remember the feeling of ‘being done’, not having to worry about taking another class or getting up early. I could sleep in and not have to follow anyone else’s’ rules. Honestly I didn’t know where to begin and it was all that I could do to get started in ‘The Real World.’ I could see that same look on her face; all of the anticipation that life has to offer.

I didn’t want to burst her bubble and let her know that ‘The Real World’ isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. We think of all of the things that we can do now that we don’t have anyone to answer to anyone anymore. We think we are actually ‘Free’; oh sure we’re free from having to get up in the mornings. We’re free from having to hand in assignments; we’re free from explaining why we have so many tardiness’s. But really we have to think about where we are going to go now in life…that is a much bigger responsibility than just going to school.

For some people this comes naturally as they have always wanted to be something, then it’s easy just head to school for ‘said’ knowledge. But for others this doesn’t come as naturally, they may struggle until they find something that interests them. Either way this requires a lot of work, not only in school but in life as well. Then we come to realize that all that ‘found freedom’ really isn’t freedom at all and that being in school wasn’t so bad. We realize that in order to get things, it’s up to me to get them. I really don’t have the ‘freedom’ to just ignore something I have to address it.

As time goes on the real ‘freedom’ that we seek is to know that we’re happy in our lives and happy in our jobs and knowing that I can make a decision regarding anything in my life without having to be told. That is the true ‘freedom’ that we seek…

So for now, I will stand here and clap for her remembering that I too had that giddy face and really didn’t know what the world had in store for me. I hope that she finds her freedom before too long and can be standing in the same spot that I’m in 15 years from now watching her cousin graduate high school.