One of the first lessons I learned as a child was that of commitment. My parents taught me that I had to finish whatever I started; Dropping out, withdrawing, or simply not showing up to an event I’d committed to was unacceptable in my household. For these reasons making commitments always scared me, it’s the reason I never joined any sports teams as I child. I knew that if I joined a sports team and didn’t like it I would be forced to stay the season. As I grew older my fear of commitments remained, I shed many beliefs my parents had taught me but that one didn’t waiver. Eventually, my fear of commitments began costing me opportunities. People presented me with exciting offers that required a commitment of my time and I couldn’t agree to their terms. I feel that by signing a contract I was signing myself into debt, and that is something I refuse to do. Debt, to me, is a subgenre of commitment. My entire life I’ve heard about how terrible debt is, and to see people who I know so easily stacking it up scares me.
A friend of mine used to attend a popular college in our region. A few days ago he let me know that he’d dropped out of college and gathered a large sum of 11,000$ in debt from his first semester. (which was the only semester he did.) This friend left college without any credentials or help to get him started in life. Today, that 11,000$ number haunts him for the next few years of his life. Now, my friend is trying to obtain his insurance license to begin working and paying off his debt; however, his attempts have not yet been successful. In the state of Wisconsin, there are two tests one must pass in order to gain their insurance license, and my friend has failed them both several times; this isn’t to mention the fine he pays every time he takes this test.
I can’t see myself ever buying something I can’t afford, including higher education. I would rather study something I’m uninterested in for free rather than learn about a subject that I love and be haunted by debt for years to come. As a high school senior in today’s modern world, the thought of all my friends who are planning on taking student loans is constantly on my mind; and I refuse to be like them.
Although my fears of debt and commitment have affected nearly every aspect of my life in both positive and negative ways. I find myself joyous that I have these fears. My fear of commitment has taught me to make my intentions clear to people as soon as I meet them, which has served me rather well, saving both myself and my friends from a lot of unnecessary pain and heartache.
Today, I live with caution. I read everything I sign, and I search for alternative methods to meet my goals when I don’t feel comfortable making the commitments others ask of me. The only thing I find I’ve been able to commit to with the utmost ease is writing. Writing is the only commitment in my life that doesn’t scare me; for that reason that I plan to spend the rest of my days writing. Writing is the only thing that brings me true serenity and peace, and if I fail to meet my expectations or forget to write there’s no one to blame but myself. There are no consequences, no restrictions, and absolutely no expectations other than my own. Writing is my freedom, and when I fail to write the only person I’m failing is myself.
— March
A friend of mine used to attend a popular college in our region. A few days ago he let me know that he’d dropped out of college and gathered a large sum of 11,000$ in debt from his first semester. (which was the only semester he did.) This friend left college without any credentials or help to get him started in life. Today, that 11,000$ number haunts him for the next few years of his life. Now, my friend is trying to obtain his insurance license to begin working and paying off his debt; however, his attempts have not yet been successful. In the state of Wisconsin, there are two tests one must pass in order to gain their insurance license, and my friend has failed them both several times; this isn’t to mention the fine he pays every time he takes this test.
I can’t see myself ever buying something I can’t afford, including higher education. I would rather study something I’m uninterested in for free rather than learn about a subject that I love and be haunted by debt for years to come. As a high school senior in today’s modern world, the thought of all my friends who are planning on taking student loans is constantly on my mind; and I refuse to be like them.
Although my fears of debt and commitment have affected nearly every aspect of my life in both positive and negative ways. I find myself joyous that I have these fears. My fear of commitment has taught me to make my intentions clear to people as soon as I meet them, which has served me rather well, saving both myself and my friends from a lot of unnecessary pain and heartache.
Today, I live with caution. I read everything I sign, and I search for alternative methods to meet my goals when I don’t feel comfortable making the commitments others ask of me. The only thing I find I’ve been able to commit to with the utmost ease is writing. Writing is the only commitment in my life that doesn’t scare me; for that reason that I plan to spend the rest of my days writing. Writing is the only thing that brings me true serenity and peace, and if I fail to meet my expectations or forget to write there’s no one to blame but myself. There are no consequences, no restrictions, and absolutely no expectations other than my own. Writing is my freedom, and when I fail to write the only person I’m failing is myself.
— March
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