We’re told that “good grades” guarantee us a successful future

No matter how many hours of sleep we had to sacrifice to earn that “A+”

We’re told that the amount of extracurricular activities we list on our college apps

somehow defines how selfless we are

Despite the fact that we wouldn’t be volunteering if it weren’t for the credit hours

 

We’re told that cheating is “bad”

Yet the “Top 10” is rewarded with scholarships, awards, and admissions into Ivy League schools regardless of how many test answers they still have crumpled in their pockets

We’re told that the “American Dream” consists of white picket fences, trophy wives, and wads of cash

Despite the fact that a wealthy business man just hung himself in his front yard,

Only to have his son find him the next morning before school

 

Why is it more common to have a prescription to Xanax than to spend a few moments meditating in the backyard?

Why is it more common to find a college graduate struggling to pay off their student loans with a minimum wage job than to be utilizing their degree in an enjoyable career?

Why is it more acceptable to get a divorce after two months than to marry someone of your same gender?

 

If I could, I would change the idea of the “American Dream” and societal norms,

The idea that that money equals happiness,

The fact that people would rather kill themselves than be different,

The sad truth that I can hold an “A” in class but not learn a thing all semester long

 

Society could learn a thing or two by

leaving their phone at home,

Taking a hike instead of popping a pill for relaxation,

Reading a book of poems instead of watching a reality show for entertainment

 

There’s more to life than “instant gratification,”

And money,

And fame

 

Maybe the “American Dream” shouldn’t be about getting rich,

It should be about loving yourself & the moment,

And I’d like to change that