A Buried Life?

Laura,

    I want to thank you for inspiring me. This is a post that touches on something very different. I definitely agree with you when you said, "Every day we go through the same motions-sleep, school/work, eat, sports, homework, eat, and sleep.  Is that really living in the moment?  Sometimes walking off the path we think we are supposed to be on is more fulfilling than the path itself." With experiences that have caused me to change my views on life, I've learned that life fully lived is the way we were meant to live, and that the people we surround ourselves with are so important. It's about who we share life with, and looking for those small "moments" in life.
    When you said, " Four guys on MTV's The Buried Life seem to have the same concerns as me.  They created a huge list of everything they want to do before they die.  Everything they check off the list, they mark something off of someone else's," I was thoroughly surprised. I wasn't shocked at the fact that four young men could have such a life altering "180" but that the show featuring this is from MTV, such a powerful media station, especially in the lives of teens soaking in today's culture. I can't say I'm that interested in watching My Super Sweet 16, but I can say that I would watch a show like The Buried Life, a show that means something. I hope the show inspires other people our age to get out and enjoy life for all that it has to offer, to treasure what we do have. And I also hope this starts an effect on the media in general, that people's definitions of what a good life is change from how much you have to who you're with and what have you done.
    After reading your post, I asked myself the question "What do you want to do before you die?" Thinking about how I would answer was hard. I would want to go to Italy or learn to play all of Debussy's "Claire de Lune." However, what I thought about was not just the experiences themselves, but who is there experiencing them with me. I went to the Poetry Out Loud state finals on Thursday, and I realized two of the reasons that night was so special for me was I had so many family, friends and teachers to support me and I was able to share these poems that have touched me with others.

Thank you again. I am glad to know you are living your life to the fullest.

Laura
 

 Laura-

I really liked your post, "A Buried Life?".  I enjoyed it because I have been feeling the same way (most likely because of our spanish class) and you made some insightful comments. I especially liked your comment, "Sometimes walking off the path we think we are supposed to be on is more fulfilling than the path itself." I have found that the times when I go outside my "comfort zone" and do something out of the ordinary make me the happiest. 

Also, your post  made me think about how we can let our lives become so routine. Like you said, "Every day we go through the same motions-sleep, school/work, eat, sports, homework, eat, and sleep." I think this happens when we look to far into the future. I often think things like, "It's okay if this is boring (waste of time, unfulfilling, etc.) because tomorrow (the weekend, summer, college, etc) will be here soon." I often let days pass in the hopes that the later ones will better. I do think it's important to stop looking so far ahead and focus more on the now. 

Lastly, I think The Buried Life was a good show to acknowledge because the idea of young teens (who often think themselves invincible) accomplishing all the outlandish things they want to do before they die is intriguing. Even more important though, is that they help people along the way. I think this show could have been a hit without the charitable aspect, but the fact that they help people sort of puts things in perspective. These young guys are able to live their lives day to day and do it selflessly. 

Laura,

First of all, great post!  A few of my friends have told me about this tv show before, but I have yet to watch an episode.  I think the concept of living life to the fullest is overlooked by a lot of people nowadays.  Like you said, we get stuck in a routine that we do every day: "sleep, school/work, eat, sports, homework, eat, and sleep."  I know I get stuck in a routine like that, and after reading your post I realized that I should embrace life and all of the opportunities that I have each and every day.  Instead of just coming home and doing homework, maybe i'll pay my grandparents a visit to spend some time with them.  Even just small, simple changes everyday could help us open our eyes and truly live life to the fullest.

Thanks for the post!

Chelsea

 Laura,

I found your post very interesting because I have also been second guessing the way I live my life recently with the rise of earthquake warning in Utah. It is scary that we assume we will just live until we are old, but that is almost impossible in the world we live in today.  You said, "So as I am slowly learning to take my teachers advice, I am starting with my time right now." I think that is something we all need to keep in mind. I feel that most people our age, if not everyone, gets caught up in meeting deadlines or making it through this month, but the truth is we need to cherish life. I liked that you brought up "The Buried Life" because I think it is amazing! Finally, a reality television show with a purpose! People's lives are changing and I think these four guys have a lot to do with a change that we want to see in the world. 

Thanks for your post Laura, I am definitely going to finally watch an episode of "The Buried Life".

Megan

Laura,

Thank you for writing such an enlightening post. I completely agree with you when you say "Sometimes walking off the path we think we are supposed to be on is more fulfilling than the path itself." This statement is so true. Sometimes we get caught up in the idea of the things we think we should accomplish in life. We get stuck on this timeline of getting through school, finding a job, and living a successful life. But where in that sequence of robotic events do we actually take a step back and evaluate if this is really what life is all about?

I really like how you touched on the fact that one of the steps your taking to live in the moment is to appreciate the smaller moments each day presents itself with. "So as I am slowly learning to take my teachers advice, I am starting with my time right now.  Instead of skipping out on family dinner- I go happily, I tell my parents I love them every time I walk out the door, I try to grasp every opportunity to help others even if it may put me out of my comfort zone, and most of all I am trying to break down walls I put up around myself." We could all learn something from you. We don't need to jump out of planes, climb mountains, or join krump competitions in order to live our lives to the fullest. We simply just need to recognize every moment for what it's worth.

Thank you for such a great post,

Emma

 Dear Laura,

Yes.

Regards,

M_Rech