AutumLeaves

Genes and the Future

Once upon a time, there was a little girl. She grew up
through the depression with a family deeply rooted in
Christianity, in the South. She had seven brothers and
sisters, not including herself. She was married and had
three children of her own, and a miscarriage. Her children
had children and one day, she looked around and noticed,
five of her seven brothers and sisters had died of cancer,
and her two remaining siblings had it as well.

This is my Grandmother. This is half of my family
history. The other half is riddled with dibetes and high
blood pressure. How is it possible to stand in front of
the firing squad and not be shot? With bullets whizzing in
every direction, how is it possible to know how you're
going to die? Could it be possible that out of all the
bullets, you trip and fall to your imminent death by
ravine?

Even faced with certain death, which we all do every
day, one has to wonder how anyone keeps themselves
together. Some do it by substance abuse, some become
obsessive complusive or develop some other mental
affliction that can be solved by any number of
medications, or some, like me, just keep their "head on
straight."

So, for an 18 year old, a senior in highschool, is
having it all together a gift or a curse? Plauged by the
want of a steady income and a happy routine, I plugged
away at finding a suitable career, but my nonwillingness
to commit at such an early age seems dibilitating. From
what is circulated by word of mouth, it seems having goals
and aspirations early in life will be more of a benefit
later on, the "you'll thank yourself later" speech comes
to mind. But, the inability to fit into a world of
slacking off, partying and the general "I don't give a
shit" attitude can be just as harmful as not. To mature or
not to mature? It's the question every teen dreads, but a
question every teen must answer when, and if, they reach
adult hood.

Ah, the dreaded A-word. Adult. That horrible time when
you have to work for your food, bills, a relationship and
most importantly work to fight off time and age. It's true
humans don't die gracefully, and most of the time we don't
die beautifully, but there's something about living to the
fullest, living everyday we can, defying to the very
depths that which bites on our heels everyday that
inspires all of us. Maybe, just maybe, it's not so bad
being an adult. Maybe it'll all work out in the end anyway.