Everything Matters... Or Does It?

        I have always thought that you could divide the human population into two main groups: those who care too much and those who care too little. I fall into the former, which is unfortunate because I will probably have an ulcer by the time I am thirty. So you could reasonably assume that a book about how literally EVERYTHING matters would only add more stress to my level. Yet, ironically, Ron Currie Jr’s Everything Matters! has helped me see what does not matter. I felt like Currie spoke directly to me when he wrote "This is the key you have learned— to relinquish control.” The source of my stress is that I try to control too much; I try to will everything in my life to be perfect. It never works. Everything may matter, but some things matter more than others. Sometimes I just have to let go and allow the chips to fall where they may. Instead, I obsess over decisions because I do not want to avoid negative consequences at all costs. But, Currie shows time and time again that you can never fully predict the consequence of your actions. Every path will inevitably have some good and some bad at the end, so I just have to decide. However, I realize that trying to let go and accept that you cannot control life is easier said than done. Especially when you consider the high maintenance, over-achiever, control freaks (yet lovable) that make up AP English. A mere fire drill in the middle of an essay can set us over the edge as we knock over freshman to get back to the room with Ms. Serensky shouting, "Run, nerds, run!" Nevertheless, I think everyone (or mostly just me) could benefit from a little perspective and perhaps a redistribution of priorities. If feel like at this point in my life, I can go in any direction I want. I can "pick a self. Any self." When I go off to college I have the opportunity to turn into anyone I want. I could choose to continue to be that self that obsesses over minor details that I have no control over. Or, I could work harder to not work so hard. I used to think that where I chose to go to college was so important. The simple location could determine whether or not I get a good education, enjoy myself, and succeed in life. And the college does matter. But, not as much as what I do when I get there. After reading the book, I truly think that anyone can make themselves happy anywhere, if they try hard enough. Because honestly, “anything, anything, anything is possible.”