Regret me not…
Posted by Daphne on December 26, 2007
Live today through the future’s lense
Don’t want to wish you could reset and play it again
–Superchic[k]
I have certain opinions about the advertising campaign that the American Eagle clothing stores recently put out called “Live Your Life”. It’s cute, it’s catchy, and it upholds very admirable values – depending on how you interpret it. Most parents would fall into the assumption that the phrase is translated roughly to “Live life to the fullest”, which isn’t in itself a wrong or bad idea. Unfortunately, the average teenager that borrows Daddy’s plastic to purchase the bags, sweatpants, and shirts emblazoned with the logo probably holds a different view. To them the phrase is a cleverly disguised way of saying “Party now while you can”. Neither interpretation is wrong (depending on how you define the word “wrong” and then how flexible your morals are) but neither interpretation is fully complete either. What does “live your life to the fullest” actually mean? and should we party now before we grow up and have actual responsibilities?
Personally, I adhere to the philosophy that one should live their life in a way that will allow them to continue to live and enjoy life later on. -.- Great job, Daphne, pat on the back… what the hell does that mean anyway? It means doing my homework, sadly enough, so that I can stay in school, go to a nice college, get a nice job, and be able to support myself and my interests later in life. It means not drinking or doing drugs (including pot, you idiots who think it’s harmless) so I don’t screw up my body chemistry, or get arrested, or lose my parents’ trust, or lose sight of what actually matters in life. It means being a “failure as a teenager” (ie. not partying, or sleeping with jackasses, or staying out past curfew) and having my parents trust me so I don’t have to fight with them for every inch of freedom.
The idea is to live responsibly so I can continue to enjoy my life. I don’t want to look back and regret any decision that I’ve made. I want to be able to respect myself even when I’m older. I would like to be able to look at my kids and say “Yes, it’s possible to get through highschool without screwing everything up”, “No, not everyone is doing it, and you can be happy without it”. I believe it’s possible to live your life and to do so in a way that ensures happiness later on. What’s the point in going all out if everything sucks later?
