Every morning, I turn on my little espresso maker, place my cup on its platform, and press the start button.Bing bang boom. That's how espressos are made.
As Mr. O'Connor briefly mentioned in his post about the Kindle, modern society (specifically American) is moving towards making everything as fast and accessible as possible - just like my daily espresso (let's face it, I'm addicted). This fast-paced society, however, is at an impossibly increasing speed at a pace that no one can keep up with. To be constantly going, constantly stimulated, we have learned to find loopholes in our body's need for R&R (rest and recovery). This is where daily dosages of coffee (an addicting drug, for those who are unaware) come into play. We rely on it to keep us active and awake every day.
When thinking about the American Dream, coffee immediately comes to mind. It's what the commuter drinks during his train ride to the corporate downtown office. It's what college kids drink after a late night studying to stay awake in classes. It's what the tired stay-at-home mom tries to quench her insatiable exhaustion.
But the thirst can never be quenched.
Society keeps on moving, no matter who falls behind, and doesn't wait for someone to catch up with it
In the North Shore area specifically, we think that the Dream can only be achieved through such soul-breaking work. That's where the phrase, "I'll sleep when I'm dead" becomes so relevant. The idea that we have to work hard to get where we want to be, that nothing else matters but the eventual success, is embedded in our psyche. Personally, I think it's a dangerous road to follow because if we keep working for the next best thing, we won't have time to enjoy the moment.
My dad always sings the song "Stop This Train" by John Mayer, which speaks to the never-ending motion of life. The singer wants the 'train of life' to stop for a moment so he can enjoy it but the train never does. As a society, we grow up thinking that someday we'll arrive at the final destination (not death) that will finally bring us happiness - the picket fence or the big promotion. But once it comes, its never as good as we thought. So we work for the next thing. And the next. And the next. Until we really are dead. And we didn't have time to enjoy the moments in between.
So every time I turn my espresso machine on, place my cup on the platform and wait for it to fill, I ask myself if everything I do is worth it. Sure, I need to work hard in school to 'succeed' - but to what end? Do I succeed on my own terms or fail on the terms of the community I live in?
Reading, “Stop This Train” my mind instantly started to replay a typical morning at my neighborhood Starbucks in Plaza Del Lago. What should be a serene setting is anything but--the minute I enter Starbucks I feel my body tense, as an anxious energy washes over me at the sight of the multitude of North Shore moms, runners and bikers desperate for their caffeine fix. Waiting in the endless line, hardly anyone stops to chitchat, as everyone wires in on their iPhones—often so zoned-in they don’t even notice when it’s their turn to order. Glancing around, a sea of Nike and Lululemon takes over, tables over-crowded with the “essentials”: coffee, pastry, iPhone, iPad, Macbook, child (often crying) and newspaper. I believe Starbucks perfectly illustrates everyday “on the go” Americans: caffeine addicted, extremely impatient and completely absorbed with their own endless agendas. As much as I sometimes wish I could, “stop this train” I don’t believe that day will come. The fast-paced lifestyle of America is only getting faster—VIA instant coffee anyone?
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you especially towards the end where you go into talking about slowing down and enjoying life a little more. But then i thought about how as a kid (and even now) it was drilled in my head that the only way i could make something of myself is if i worked so incredibly hard. I think this mantra is promoted stronger in the recent generations, thus making America and the world a more competative place. I'm not saying that i disagree with slowing down, in fact i would love to "stop the train" but is it possible?It seems that in this world to be successful you can't "stop the train" you can't even ride the train. In this world to be sucessful you have to be faster than the train. So if we were to slow down would it even be possible to be successful?
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with Jasmine. "Stopping the train" for a while is not as easy as it should be. Especially at New Trier, with students constantly competing against each other in every way, "stopping the train" for even a moment is highly unlikely. Fear of others passing you up is a terrifying thought for many of us, leading us to believe there is no time to "stop the train". And back to Jasmine's ending question, I believe that especially in our society, once we "stop the train" once, we will spend the remainder of our time running behind trying to catch up to it. So as much as we would like to stop and take a moment to rest, the amount of pressure our society puts on us makes that close to impossible. I think that sad, but at the same time I know it is true.
ReplyDeleteGreat song though, it's one of my favorites.