The Pursuit of Happiness

Throughout your life, people are always asking what you want to be when you grow up. As you age, the question becomes more appropriately tailored. As a college student, it becomes what are you going to school for and what do you want to do with that degree. A public relations student will also have to explain what their major means. I've literally corrected more than ten people who thought I wanted to publish books. 

Anyways, being in my penultimate year of school, I'm faced with the horrifying reality that I actually need to have an answer. I can no longer just say I'll figure things out when the time arrives. It's here and I'm supposed to select a field that I'm most interested in and find something to help pay my bills. 

Terrifying. Exciting. Depressing. Intriguing. That's how I view my future. 

When you can't decide what you want to do or who you want to be, your life is in turmoil. I had resigned myself to a future of being a bum living under a bridge in Pittsburgh. It was easier than facing the truth.

One day, like magic, I stumbled upon a quote by John Lennon. Literally I was on Stumble Upon. Anywho, it made me realize that I knew what I wanted out of life. 

“When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy’. They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life.” 

Apparently, there is some debate as to whether Mr. Lennon actually said that, but no matter. From the moment I read that quote, I knew that I didn't care where my life took me, as long as I was happy. 

I realize that sounds a little counterproductive in the sense that I have no direction, but I believe that God is in control and everything happens for a reason. By trusting this, I know that even if I end up being a fine jewelry sales associate at Sears for the rest of my life, I can be happy. 

It was a simple yet revolutionary thought. 

Now I know you're wondering, how does this inspire me to be creative? It's quite simple, really. 

I've stopped being so uptight. Granted, I'm still pretty out of control most of the time, but I've calmed down quite a bit. I see improvements in my writing because I'm not so worried about everything all the time. I see it in other areas as well, but because writing is the number one activity in public relations, that's what I notice most. By calming down, I've become more creative.

Last week I sounded like a hipster. This week I sound like a straight up hippy. 

Why is it called a bucket list?

I'm fairly certain I've said "add that to my bucket list" a million times in my lifetime, but I've never actually created one. Nor do I remember most of the things I said I'd do. Things happen, I get busy. Story of all our lives. Most likely, I'll be too busy working at a job I hate to accomplish anything on this list. 

Who knows, maybe I'll accomplish everything. Que sera sera. 

Things to do before I croak:

1. Live in Pittsburgh. 

2. Be fabulously single living in Pittsburgh. 

3. Have an apartment that looks like the ones you see on television. 

4. Find a temporary sugar daddy to see what it's like. 

5. See Boston in the fall. 

6. Meet a celebrity.

7. Meet Zac Efron and have fun with him.

8. Plan a major awards ceremony (I'm hoping for the Oscars, but I'll take the Teen Choice Awards)

9. Be a famous publicist. 

10. Own my own event planning firm.

11. Be as awesome as Samantha Jones from Sex and the City (minus the hooker nature)

12. Be an extra in a movie.

13. Go to Europe.

14. See the major concentration camps (Auschwitz, Sobibor, etc.)

15. Punch a German in the face for the Holocaust and subsequently denying it. 

16. Meet J.K. Rowling and bow at her feet. 

17. Have a tight group of friends that I can always rely on. 

18. Fall in love.

19. Marry a rich old man for his money. 

20. Own a Forever Lazy.

21. Meet Matt Thiessen from Relient K and thank him for his contributions to the world of music.

22. Punch a hipster in the face and steal their greasy hat. 

23. Make my mother proud.

24. Spend New Year's Eve in New York City. 

25. Take a picture supporting the Leaning Tower of Pizza. (I'm pretty sure that's not the proper name but I'm too lazy to do the research)

26. Visit Rome. 

27. Pose with one of those British police officers while doing something ridiculous. 

I know you probably read a majority of them and thought that I'm out of control, and you're mostly right. Some of the things on this list I really want to accomplish, but I can't make a definitive list. 

I may sound like a hipster, but I live life for the moments that just happen. I'm pretty sure the things I want to do will be fun, but I guarantee the things I don't plan and don't realize I want are some of the greatest moments in life. I live for the infinite moments. 

Mock me if you will.