It’s Monday the 5th of March 2012, It is an absolutely beautiful day outside with the sun at a comfortable 25 degrees, no sign of rain but there is still a slight breeze from the east or so my iThing tells me. I revel in the fact that I have the opportunity to grasp such a perfect day to live life to its fullest instead of begging at school. While all the kiddies are stuck learning where Romeo was for ought I have the ability to go swimming at the beach, scuba diving, rocking climbing, parasailing, paintballing, sky diving, eat the most exquisite food subway has to offer while finding the time to watch the Lord of the Rings Trilogy in one go. The only problem is that it’s already 11am and I’m still in bed with only $5 to my name. Yep since the beginning of life on the 17th of November 2011 I have been living life to its fullest, playing games and watching TV. Who knew day time TV could be so exhilarating? This has been my life ever since so much so that I lost the concept of dates, days and time. Today, however, is a day worth noting; today is the day before I go off to university to become a ‘somebody’ in society!
I finally get up to go brush my teeth, as I stare at my reflection in the mirror the question dawns on me; “If I am to be a ‘somebody’ in society, what do I want my position in society to be?” Since the begging of my life I never really thought about this, nor thought about anything at all. The more and more I thought about it the more challenging the question became. At least in School I was on common ground, I knew where I stood. Now that I’m out in the big boy’s world now, I don’t know where I stand anymore! I needed to figure this out, especially before I go off to university tomorrow and start off my all exclusive career is business.
So it is decided! I’ll break away from the usual attire of games and day time Television, just for a little bit, to find my position in society! In a rush of excitement I quickly finish brushing my teeth, went to the kitchen to grab some nutritious chocolate chip cookies for brunch and made my way to my room. Clearing all the clutter off my desk to make way for an ancient technology called as piece of paper, I grab a sharpie and in the middle of a blank page write the words “My position (to be) in society” and encircle it. I sit back and think to myself, “what is the one most thing my position in society will be based on?”
Well firstly I need a good contrast, someone who has found their position in society but has experienced life in a completely different way to me. I think back to the last book I ever read; “Mao’s Last Dancer”, where a Cuxin a peasant boy growing up in communist China, found his purpose in life in ballet. The book presents a very clear picture on what kind of somebody Cuxin became and the values he held that made him who he is. It truly was a good book in showing the reader another aspect to life and how lucky one can be to have the life they have.
I lean forward and quite naturally the first and most important thing I write outside the circle is “Someone who has lots of money!” Well of course it’s the one thing that western society is built on, the be all and end all that society has placed on me, but does this necessarily mean happiness? I think about Cuxin who grew up in communist China where essentially the idea of wanting to be wealthy made you an enemy of the state. To say him and his family were poor is an understatement, yet as challenging as his childhood was Cuxin still lived happily. On western terms he had no reason to live, yet he got up each day, to live for the sole purpose of his family and to make something of his life. Yes Cuxin wanted to earn money but he had a different purpose for doing it, not to have fancy things, not to be given a status symbol by the clothes or things he owns. Money didn’t rule over him, it was there just to enjoy the simplicities of life but most importantly, to support his family. Even though material and financial gain may have been my believed position in society for so long maybe there if more to it than just that.
Once again I sit back in my chair and think to myself, “If not money what else is important in society?” Once again I think about Cuxin’s book and how much his family dominated its chapters. His hard work and determination to become a rewound ballet dancer stemmed solely from the desire to support his family. I’m and only child and yet putting up with my parents and the only two cousins I have seems like a challenge sometimes. Yet Cuxin put up with eight brothers in one small two room house while still loving and supporting every single one of them. I think that’s how should act towards family from now on, they after all don’t care what position in society I hold but will support me one hundred percent on it! Even though I have a smaller family than Cuxin I get its no less responsibility to strive to be my best and support them.
Wow! Comparing my views on money and family with those presented by Cuxin in Mao’s Last Dancer really as helped influence my future position in society already. Already I feel free from the constraints my recently older worldview had on me. This, however, is only the beginning! There is so much more to think about and explore like marriage, government, freedom and of course purpose in life. Yet I’ve only compared to views from one person, imagine how much more I will have to think about and contrast to if I read more books. Maybe, just maybe my old English teachers were on to something with getting us to read in high school.
