opinion

Yes, no, maybe so?
by Andrew Bivin

Should you or should you not try to plan out your life? And if something threatens that plan, how should you react?

Friends have helped my understanding of this issue. These questions were especially prevalent this past year in the conversations I had with others because so many of the people I know were heading off to college. Their thoughts and conclusions on the matter taught me a lot, not only about what happens when you leave home, but also about myself, about the kind of things I should or should not do. One friend’s decision, in particular, impacted me the most.

I met Gonzalo when he was going through a stage in which he was just coasting through life, not giving much thought to his future. But as his time in high school was coming to an end, and he began making crucial decisions about his future, a radical change swept over him. He had been accepted into a high-ranked business program in the States, and couldn’t wait for the fall semester to start. But about two months before he was going to leave, he decided that he shouldn’t go to college quite yet. Instead, he accepted an un-paid, year-long internship. This struck me as unbelievable --- he had never been the type to make snap-decisions --- and he was even less likely to forsake the first year of college for an internship. I couldn’t understand the reason for this change.

But even though at first I didn’t quite get why he made the choice he did, it began making sense to me after a while. I understood that making huge plans for the years to come is pretty ridiculous. First of all, one doesn’t even know what’s going to happen tomorrow. A person may have a general idea, but if one tries to plan it out, there’s no room left for the little things that can change life for the better. I’m trying to apply this concept into my life now. I’m trying not to get so far ahead that I miss out on the surprises that make life marvelous.

Gonzalo started his internship a couple of weeks ago. Although he misses not being able to share the “college” experience with the rest of his friends, he’s extremely thankful for the decision he made. He’s learning things that he’s sure he never would’ve in a university, and he’s making memories that’ll stay with him for the rest of his life.

When I last spoke with Gonzalo, I asked him once again to remind me exactly why he had postponed his entry into college, and if he was glad that he did. He replied in his usual, casual style: “Yeah, man. I tried planning out my life. It didn’t work.”

Andrew Bivin is a junior at Balboa Academy