In one month, I will walk across the stage and receive my college degrees. As I receive my degrees and give a thankful wave to my parents, I'm sure I'll have a tear or two streaming down my cheeks. This was by far one of the most difficult chapters of my life, and I know it is for a lot of us. Sure, my professors and the load they gave was rough at times, but it was my other teacher that tested me most. You know, that teacher that gives us the tests first, and the lessons after? That's right, life. Oh, she can be a bitch, can't she?
It is of course normal for me to have a strong sense of reflection as the nearing of yet another chapter ends in my book. But, I think the main reason I decided to start this blog now was to, well, share some of the many life lessons I've learned the last few years of my life. Maybe it can help others, maybe I'll save it to show my kids some day, or who knows, maybe this is all just a therapeutic kind of release for me to share and relate. If you told me four years ago the things and problems I would run into the next four years of my life, I would've had a great laugh and said, "no fucking way, not me".
That being said, I would argue any day that graduating college is a million times more frightening than graduating high school. Sure, many of us had no idea what the hell we would do once we graduated high school and we had the typical fears of losing friends to long distances and busy schedules, but, it's the lessons you learn after high school that make graduating college that much scarier. Little did I know, once I left the field of Vet's Stadium in Long Beach, my life would never be the same. Life would take all kinds of turns and corkscrews and bumps and any other shitty movement on a roller coaster you can think of.
But I had no concept of this upcoming journey. Nothing "scary" had happened in my life yet, so I entered my adult world eager and bright-eyed. I was innocent in my thinking that if I made a solid plan and didn't stray far from the tracks, life would be pretty easy; just like it had been up to that point. I guess the point I'm trying to make here is that the big, nasty bitch we call life loves to break those rosy-colored lenses we look through, as soon as we leave the comforts of our high school walls.
Through the stuggles, pain, and grief that occurred, came many wonderful and beautiful things as well. Things that made me love life more and more everyday. Things that helped me learn a little quicker. Things that helped me be a little stronger.
Of these things, I am most grateful for learning that mistakes are not synonymous with failure. Mistakes are lessons, and it is a very vital salient developmental task to go through the motions of life: failure, love, friendship, responsibility, death, success, etc. Thus, where the title of this blog stems from. That it's okay to slow down during the good times and the bad. If you need some time to get your bearings back, that's okay. It doesn't mean you're a failure. It means you're learning. That it's okay to grab a new pair of lenses along the way, not quite rosy, not quite black. A comfortable balance. It's all about that comfortable balance.
Life doesn't come with a how-to manual, so I guess this is my own version of that. Of course I don't know nearly enough about life yet to offer advice on everything, but I can show you some of the ropes I've learned along my journey thus far.
So, welcome. To life lessons from a 21-year-old.
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