Often times, it is all too easy for an over-committed person to become completely introverted, dedicating everything they have to a few particular interests. It is around this time of year especially that students become bogged down with work, whether it be because of responsibility to a class, a sport or an extracurricular.
It is common for this type of devotion to result in an anhedonic attitude: one where no enjoyment can be taken out of life. While commitment is a good practice, it is neither appropriate nor healthy for it to reach this level, and action must take place in order to prevent it.
When there is something as limited as life, it seems only natural that people would want to experience as much of it as possible. That is why the staff of The Feather believes that enjoyment must be drawn of life, whether it be through simple acts or grandiose adventures.
People die every day; there’s no getting around that. Everybody from Jesus Christ to Elvis Presley has eventually passed away, and it this pattern will continue to occur until the end of the universe.
No matter what someone’s theological beliefs are, it is easily agreeable that our time on Earth is relatively short compared to the whole of recorded history. This is why it seems so important to cherish the very limited amount of time that is referred to as life.
In Thornton Wilder’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Bridge of San Luis Ray, the purpose of life is explored through the deaths of five inter-connected characters. Though there is an ambiguos answer that comes from the text, it seems that Wilder suggests that the characters died only after discovering reason for their existence. Ultimately, they meet their end only after awakening an entirely different person within themselves.
It must be remembered that our schedules and projects are nothing, as they will eventually be lost and forgotten. Death is the epitome of this thought, as it is commonly the thing that stops us in our tracks and makes us reevaluate ourselves.
While not every high schooler is on a great existential journey, they do have to deal with life in one way or another. So, it’s only feasible that they do this in an enjoyable way, as experiencing something as important as sentience is crucial.
The Feather staff encourages students to find joy in life, even if it is in the most effortless of ways. You may just have to take ten minutes out of the day and set it aside for something entertaining, whether it be a walk, a breather, or even a game of Angry Birds, but it’s worth a try.
On an expansion of this idea, it is entirely conceivable to use some time to go on an excursion, breaking the standards of conventionalism. Travel is a representation of freedom, and a long break every once in a while is entirely normal.
That being said, it is also important to devote yourself to a work. It’s simple to find enjoyment in an assignment if the right attitude is taken, and this only allows for it to be completed in a more efficient and pleasurable fashion. If this can be accomplished, then enjoyment can be taken from even the most arduous task.
Regardless of our existence, life is going to happen, as it always has. As singer John Lennon stated: “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.” So what’s so wrong about embracing something that is only bound to occur?
Ultimately, every moment we go through adds up, becoming a benefit, as it is through our experiences and memories that we become the people we are. We should regard life in the same way a person who’s been given a gift: appreciate it and use it, because, one day, we won’t have it.
For more editorials, read the Sept. 22 article, EDITORIAL: A time and place for discourse.
