Lifes a Bitch and then you Rock

Life's a Bitch and then you Rock

Life is full of hardships, which is a bitch. But, if faced, they are overcome and you are rewarded, which rocks. However, if the problems are not dealt with, more problems will arise. My title is a quote by Art Alexakis—lead singer of the band Everclear. He was presented with problems in his life, but he faced them. And now his life is much better. No one ever promised that life would be easy, and no one ever told you exactly what to expect. This is because everyone’s life is different. No one faces the same challenges. But, everyone has to face life sooner or later.

First, life confronts you with a problem. It is impossible to list every situation life can hand you, however, here are three scenarios that show different aspects of life. You’re a seventeen year-old girl who has just found out she is pregnant. Your boyfriend, afraid of the situation, has left you. Your parents, deeply religious, have shunned you. Your aunt allows you to stay in her house but disapproves. You are left alone to take care of yourself—sacrifice your childhood. In the next scenario, you’re a grown man. Your father has just suffered a severe stroke, his third in as many years. He is unconscious, in constant suffering, and kept alive, only by respirators that breathe for him. You must choose whether to keep him alive on the machine or pull the plug and let him die—decide his fate. Finally, you’re a 19 year-old college student that has to write a major essay. You haven’t made an effort all year. And if you don’t write a reasonable paper you will probably fail the class. It’s not a difficult assignment but you have to find time, research the subject, and not loose sight your goal—take the responsibility. Ursula K. Le Guin was presented with responsibility when she saw the sparrow trapped in the cage (564-565). She could have just walked away, but she took it upon herself to find help. In our lifetimes, life provides a problem, and we must find a solution.

Next, you have to decide whether to face the problem at hand, or ignore it. Let’s say, in that the first scenario you face your problems, just as Barrett Mandel faced his problem—the inability of university students to write proficient papers. You get an after-school job; study just as hard, if not harder, than you have been; and make plans for the birth.