BY JESSICA JASPERSON
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Sometimes it’s hard to explain life. Such a vast universe, which at times feels like too much to handle or too much to explain. So, humans lean on things to help them get through life, which I believe shouldn’t be “hard” to get through in the first place. We’ve made life hard, so hard for some, waking up doesn’t seem fathomable in the morning.

Pick your poison. Humans use drugs, alcohol, pornography, movies, social media, video games, work and other humans to get through life. A tad of escape from the reality of days passing and a clock ticking. A clock ticking on every one of our watches, phones and wall clocks.

Of course I can only speak from the point-of-view of an American, but time and money are two factors that make life harder than necessary.

We are so focused on packing as much as possible into a day, that we have to actually schedule spending time with family, otherwise it wouldn’t happen. Don’t forget, that time has to make us money or we won’t be happy at the end of the day. I’m sick of it, and I’m only 23 years young.

I think the opposite creates true happiness. Spending time with friends, loved ones and volunteering for others in need is the way to go.

I don’t care about money or status or if anyone reads this opinion piece. I cannot grasp onto the fact people in this world actually care about things that matter so little in the end. The messed up thing is, who am I to judge what matters in the end?

I want to do what I love, even if I don’t know what I love at the moment. I’m still figuring it out, but society makes us feel like we’re running behind.

If we don’t graduate high school, attend college for four years or less and then go on to our professions, then we are wasting time. I ask, whose time are we wasting, but our own?

I felt this way for a while, after three years of attending MSUM without a declared major. Then, I figured it out.

I am now in my  fifth year of college, graduating in May with English and mass communications degrees. I found out what I loved doing, but my path didn’t fit into society’s formula of success.

What about traveling the world? What about learning a new language? What about stopping what you’re doing to speak to strangers? What about praying for others in need? There are no scheduled times in life for these moments to occur. We have to jump and hopefully hang on to the sporadicity that make us stronger, smarter, more giving and ultimately happier.

I don’t mean to rant, but trying to make sense of life is perhaps too big of a journey. Perhaps we’re not supposed to make sense of it, and we are to try our best to enjoy life and be happy.

Take the time to reevaluate what makes you happy, and truly enjoy the life you’re living. I’m sorry if that is money or success or fame because those things will kill your heart and soul trying to reach the top.

I read this quote on the good ol’ Internet while I was writing this opinion, “Don’t educate your child to be rich. Educate him to be happy. So when he grows up, he will know the value of things, not the price.”

I’ll just leave it at that.