Guest Post: A Right to Explore Life

Guest post by JuneLatina

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For the last few years, I have been actively rebelling against the well-planned path that my parents (and sometimes even myself) had set out for me. When I was in elementary school, I was easily influenced by any authority figure’s opinion. I couldn’t really think for myself; I didn’t know how to. As I approached the advent of high school, I decided on a five-year plan for my life. After all, that was the safe, sensible thing to do, right? It made me feel better to have some kind of direction to look forward to, so this was the plan. Keep in mind, I was 13 at the time.

The first year of high school would be Year 1.

Year 1-5 = complete high school successfully
Year 6-10 = complete university successfully
Year 7 = find well-paying, stable job as a translator
Year 11 = get married
Year 16 = begin family
Year 17 and on = live life and then die happy

Ambitious, huh? Well, this is how it really happened, up to the present day:

Year 1-5 = completed high school successfully, changed mind about translating career, mother disappointed

Year 6 = pursuing a degree in sociology, parents disappointed, met future husband

End of Year 7 = got engaged, mother seemingly happy, father still calls him my “friend”

Year 8 = decided to accelerate education and graduate early with a regular Bachelor’s Degree, rather than an Honour’s Bachelor; accept job as a nanny for one year; parents confused and disappointed

End of Year 8 = will be getting married, Godwilling

Year 9 and on = who knows, and I like it that way!

I never thought I would be the kind of person that is satisfied with not knowing what is around the corner. There was no single moment or event that changed me and my way of thinking and viewing the world; it was time. Time is the one thing that we cannot rebel against (unless you have the money for Botox). However, while you’re on the path and figuring out what you want in life, rebel against what is keeping you from learning about yourself. No one is born knowing what is right and wrong. Everyone has a right to explore life. The sociologist in me would like to remind each and every one of you that our society is a mere social construction; what may be acceptable in one society is reprehensible in another. When you think of it that way, you really can do anything you want in life. That is why I am rebellious!

They said what?, Whatever!