The best teacher we have is ourselves

My cousin's graduation announcement arrived in my mailbox today. After the initial shock of seeing his senior picture (I remember him being born!), I started to think a little about new beginnings and expectations. That's the idea, right?

While graduation is a clear example of the end of one thing and the beginning of something else, we are faced with these situations throughout our lives. It can be unsettling to be in a position where we have to say goodbye to what we've become comfortable with and hello to what we know little about.

There are certain expectations people have for us and that we have for ourselves. The longer we settle into a pattern, the less often we have these expectations. We tried this and it didn't work out. We set a goal and achieved it. Now what's next? Many times we forget to ask what's next, and instead pat ourselves on the back for what we can and try and forget the failures.

I have been having some anxiety about this lately, as I am moving away from a city that has hosted a world of achievements and letdowns for me to a place I have never been. In the beginning, I assigned a negative emotion to this feeling. Anxiety in itself has a negative connotation.

Anxiety can be a good thing -- a marker that our body and brain are still working. Of course we feel stress when we go through major change--it's part of nature's plan. Learning to deal with it and work through it is what separates us from the animals. We can move out of our comfort zone. We should. Habits and routine can be good to a point, but not if it's keeping us from setting goals and moving forward.

I challenge all of us to look at the beginning and end points of things in our life. It doesn't have to be as obvious as graduating, buying a house or changing jobs. It can be as simple as a new workout routine or a new friend. These things cause stress and anxiety at almost undetectable levels. They also create new expectations for us. If we can navigate our way through these, then certainly we can accomplish whatever it is we want in this life.

Is that the best your brain could come up with?

There is a website where one can rent designer purses, jewelry, watches and sunglasses. Apparently I'm a little behind in the times, because this has been going on for sometime, as my friend pointed out. Now I have enough problems with the whole designer bag phenomenon as it is, but I'm trying to see other points of view: you own it forever and they tend to be good quality, etc. But renting one?

Who are you trying to impress? Because I can only see that side when it comes to renting Gucci or Louis Vuitton for between $40 and $400 a month. You care far too much about the facade -- about what people are saying about you.

I'm thinking about starting my own business: rent a personality. I can create a truly amazing life for you with my incredible imagination. I can give you silly quirks, interesting anecdotes, mental illnesses (that shouldn't be too tough) and diverse musical taste. What about a crippling fear of Styrofoam? Oh sure, that too.

The sad thing about my business is that it would require so much work for my customers to acquire their personalities that they would be better off just doing it themselves. But people don't like to do work. People want things handed to them, which is why they're depending on credit for the gas to drive their financed BMW while sporting rented Ray Bans. And still they want more. And still they are unhappy.

Now normally I try to keep my blog pretty optimistic. But what's the sense of having your own blog if you can't rant on occasion? It's just tragic that people think they have to be a certain way.

I'm not saying I have the answers to how everyone should live, but if human beings didn't care so much about what their possessions said about them, the Earth might be a more interesting place. But then again, maybe keeping the masses chasing shit they don't need keeps them out of the way for the real visionaries and prophets.

Dairy Queen brings the consumer out of me

I went into the skyway system in downtown Minneapolis today and was struck with a sudden need to have Dairy Queen. While this in itself is not weird (I love Blizzards and would eat one every day if I could), I noticed that the last time I was in the skyway I really wanted something ... anything.

The skyway encourages the want in me. And in most people I think. It reminds me of rats in a maze: go through the correct way and get your reward. Turn right at the TCF Tower and you'll get to Starbucks where you will purchase and receive your coffee, your incentive for making it through the maze and through the day.

Living in a capitalist country makes this sort of thing the norm. Unfortunately it also encourages debt and living paycheck-to-paycheck. Think of all that interest being paid on venti mochacchinos!

I have a few friends who don't have credit cards and don't have debt. They are definitely the minority. I strive to not want things, whatever it may be, but it can be difficult. And easy to swing into the extreme.

I ask myself, Do I really need this? And the answer is most times no. But where is the reward in the maze for someone who doesn't want? Maybe it's about getting out of the maze, but until that day I guess I'll just enjoy the people-watching.