What I’m Coming to Terms With: A New Plan

As the lockdown extends across the country our future plans begin to fray more and more. While We have all dealt with this in the short term, we are learning to let go of things far further ahead than we would have guessed. And in this mass rewriting of the future we are being forced into situations we never would have predicted, or worse, feared. For me, my plan has always been New York, Its where, at least for the time being, my career is pushing me towards. Pre-pandemic I had planned to make the jump in the early fall and hit the ground running. Now, of course, as the pandemic progresses, the ideal has shifted. Instead, I am faced with the risk of falling headfirst into a chaotic new life in the city or biding my time until things seem “safe” again. It’s a tough position to be in, but one a lot of us are facing, especially as college graduates. And while there is never an easy choice, we can all help ourselves by stepping back and realizing we never had any certainty in the first place and may never have it at all. It’s the hardest thing to do in life, become comfortable in uncertainty. But when we realize things will always be uncertain, we can take solace in the things we do have, and make the best of them. The answer is never in the future, but in how we address the present. A plan is never solid, but our outlook on the future can be.

An aphorism that’s been playing in my head:

Awards are best kept in the bottom drawer