"Living " by Lance A

It is difficult to comprehend the fact that one day they were there, and the next, they weren’t. Although the lives we lost not too long ago are not here, the tears wept by those that cherished them have not yet dried. The grim events of August made many of us realize that we, as humans, have a finite amount of sand in a thin hourglass. As human beings, living is a key aspect of our earthly careers, and many people struggle their entire lives attempting to figure out how to accept the large yet scarce bouquet arranged with the enchanting yet cruel flowers known as “existence” and “time”. Although Hydrangeas may have many beautiful, colorful petals, we must take care to realize that even those seemingly abundant petals are sadly limited. Living is not simply all about the act of simply existing, but rather also the capacity to value life and have your life valued. 

Many of us have our individual reasons for continuing to exist, a "Raison d'être" if you will, that help us wake up every morning to bear the burdens that we do. For many, it may be money, religion, ideology, achieving one’s dreams, or the ability to keep witnessing the smile every day on the face of the one you cherish. Whatever it may be, you may be inclined to want to hold on to that dear object you value for as long as you keep living. However, it is difficult to perpetuate that article you love if you stand complacent; unwilling or unable to take action or to adapt to inevitable changes. What other method is there to value that treasure than by showing that you are willing to do anything necessary to keep it? The otherwise satisfied gardener must trudge their prized Hydrangea bush towards partial shade, especially during the barrage of heat during the summer, or else the ice fractal-esque flower will melt. If they truly value that hydrangea plant, they will want to continue maintaining it as need be. This purpose for living provides a stable ground on which to keep living, as it keeps us from wasting our existence having never worked to reach that goal or to appreciate our most precious treasures. 

The value of a person’s life heavily depends on perspective. The capitalist may assess a person’s worth based on the implicit costs of losing them. By this, I mean the monetary value in productivity and resources of a person, that disappear as a result of their no longer working or existing. On the other hand, a student may estimate the sum of their life’s worth based on grades. The issue with these rational yet morally flawed views is that they attach calculable, arbitrary values of worth on a person. Arguably, the definition one brings to themself transcends any amount of monetary value that you may place on them. A person who is self-satisfied by achieving the dreams or goals they have set for themself, is worth more than a person who hasn’t, who sees no value in themselves or has no motivation to find value. The arbitrary grades and labels that many people yearn from their peers are worth nothing, until the person themself has no need for them, because they have proved themselves to be beyond the dependency for those limiting, corporeal titles. Wildflowers do not grow because they were planted intentionally, but because they follow their nature to randomly splatter their palette of colors all over the world. Although some may consider wildflowers to be “alien” or “different”, they are indifferent because their splendor allows them to stand proud and firm in even the most desolate and unhomely of worlds,. 

It is important to recognize that remaining an audience member in one’s own life or not placing value in your own life are both equally foolish approaches to living that will yield nothing of worth or interest. Living should not be like a lecture where you’re expected to memorize and regurgitate mundane terms and trivia on an aptitude test, but rather it should be like being an AP Chemist with your own life, experimenting with ideas that could potentially make the chemical reaction of life break equilibrium and occur spontaneously in the direction you want it to. Living is being able to realize that you do in fact have an active role in the epic of your life and that you may endow your play with the things that make you smile and define you. In the epilogue, it will be you, the author of your personal narrative, who dictates what unfolds.