After reading and considering the songs you LOVE, it seems to me that you gravitate towards songs that connect to events, emotions, problems, and concerns you currently experience--which makes perfect sense. In light of that, I chose to share a song that I never even considered until I heard it on the radio last night. “Why Georgia” by John Mayer provides a look into life's uncertainties that you, me, and even our good friend, Kafka, can appreciate.
Either way I wonder sometimes
About the outcome
Of a still verdictless life
Am I living it right?
Am I living it right?
Am I living it right?
Why, why, Georgia, why?
The most pressing question many of you face now deals with choosing a college and a career path. Indeed, such stressful decisions can cause us to question the very meaning of our existence. As you know, I chose to begin my education after high school at Youngstown State University, the very same place that I had stubbornly refused to consider during my high school career. But what you may not know includes my belief that going to a school close to home would make me look like a loser and lead to a depressing life of squalor. While I know that seems dramatic, after hearing my journal entries as a senior, you can see how it fits with my mindset back then.
So, why did I make that choice? A full-ride scholarship seemed too hard to pass up. I spent many nights painstakingly making my final decision: I begged my parents to tell me what to do, but they would not. The stress of making my first adult decision overwhelmed me, so I can empathize with many of you who find yourselves in that same position.
Since then, though, I do not question or begrudge my decision. That decision led me on the path to teach in Charlotte, to attend Bread Loaf, to graduate in Oxford, and to have the pleasure of teaching you. In my eyes, all of those outcomes happened for a multitude of reasons. Those outcomes aside, what Mayer relays in his repeated rhetorical questions seems to me the constant need to reflect on one’s decisions: to make a conscious effort to make the most of our choices and to make the world a better place for ourselves and others. To me, having that sort of fulfillment trumps any amount of prestige a degree from a certain university could bring or the money a profession could yield. My hope for you: choose a path that you truly enjoy because your talents and enjoyment lie there. In this way, even though you may wonder about “the outcome/Of a still verdictless life,” you will still enjoy happiness along the way. Mayer indirectly characterizes this life of unease as unavoidable; even though I agree, I also believe that by doing what you truly love, you can lessen some of this anxiety.
Ultimately, you will spend most of your adult life at work, and nothing seems more tragic to me than choosing a path that you do not base on the aforementioned factors. Some days will present more struggles, some days might make you question your choice, but if you can feel proud of what you do and afford to live a comfortable life, nothing will bring you more satisfaction. Just look at me: I get to talk to cool people about books every day AND host my own show!
First of all, this is one of my favorite songs and for many of the reasons that you bring up. Like you, I similarly fought myself against loving Miami University as much as I actually did. I did not want to go to a school in Ohio that many people from Chagrin go to; however, I came to realize that those things do not matter (which is why I have committed to going there). Hopefully my decision will lead to the success and experiences you had in Charlotte and at Oxford. John Mayer's songs always have very relatable emotions such as this simplistic question of whether or not we are living our lives "right".
ReplyDeleteMs. Serensky when I first read the lyrics to your song I though I heard it before, and indeed I have. The song relates to every one. I know in my short life I find my self questioning weather what I am doing or choosing the right thing. I think you keyed in on what a lot of us are thinking right now, the biggest choice we to date and we all wonder, did we choose the right path. Like with you, time will only tell.
ReplyDeleteI too love this song and him in general. I have to wonder when contemplating his lyrics whether one can "live it right." Oshima made a shocking statement in Kafka on the Shore when he basically told Kafka that the government should not force fifteen-year-olds to go to school. Being a strong advocate for education, I disagreed with him completely, to me that is not "living it right," but it makes me wonder whether or not the tangible choices we make, such as deciding to attend school, determine the quality of our lives. As this book forces me to stretch my mind in every possible way, I cannot help but begin to believe that no matter what decisions we make, we will form connections. I feel like connections are inevitable. The only decision we can make that will determine the quality of our lives is the decision to allow our souls to make connections (if one could even call that a decision).
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