Friday, February 16, 2018

Does it get easier?

I was invited to speak to a group of elementary school kids by an ex-patient of mine. She stated they were trying to motivate these kids to be excited about school, and highlighting my journey to college could help. Easy decision. I accepted, after all, I have an entire blog dedicated to this. I gave my talk and afterward, one student asked me if school gets harder. I paused.

"Good question, give me a moment," I said, trying to find a better answer than "lol, I wish. Sandpaper to eyeball rough is more accurate."

To tell him school gets harder would be true, but these students had already been mislabeled as unmotivated and poor academic performers. Telling them school got harder would've killed any spark of curiosity that could have been fostered through the education system. But I couldn't lie to them--I mean, they're kids, and they would easily read through my poor acting skills.

So, I finally responded, "it depends"... just kidding!

"Not really," I eventually said, still unsure of the words that would come out of my mouth next.

"But it doesn't get easier either. It kind of stays the same. It's like when a baby first starts walking, they fall a lot and it's challenging, but it is probably just as challenging as when they were learning to crawl. Things in life don't become easier, you just get better at handling them."

"YO, THAT WAS DEEEEEP SON!" I said in my head, impressed by my impromptu answer.

What the kid was really asking was if he will be able to succeed academically as he advances through school. He was concerned because the challenges he was currently facing seemed like giants and the thought of the next step was scary. How do I know this, you ask? I can read minds...plus this narrative plays well with my post. Speaking of which, corny moral conclusion coming up in 3, 2, 1...

So what am I saying here? Advancing in life, taking on new opportunities, traveling, these are all things that take people out of their comfort zones, and they wonder, "can I be successful in this new territory?" They are like that kid, scared and even paralyzed by the thought of challenges greater than what they currently face. I can't guarantee things will get easier, but I can guarantee that your goals are achievable and making it through your current position will prepare you for the next step.

Umm, okaybye.

One love.