Katie Michalko
My mom always said, “Why be ordinary?” Don’t compare yourself to other people; if you use other lives as the standard measure of success, then you’ll only maintain what’s already been accomplished.
So now I’m at the age when most people determine what their socioeconomic role will be. But with the social and economic situation as it is, I’ve realized the danger in staying on the common path of personal gain of knowledge, comfortable possessions, and occupational status. On this path it is too easy to develop a delusional discrete identity, that inhibits true comprehension of the interdependent existence we naturally partake in. This prevalent delusion has a detrimental effect on the human (and ecological) condition and our progression. Therefore, I’m taking this time to figure out my role in nature’s intertwined web, how I connect to each person, and how I can make my actions and decisions benefit the world.
Some would say that college provides those opportunities to volunteer as well as the education one needs to make a life for oneself. This is true. Let it be known that I value academic excellence and experience greatly. However, things in our society need to change, and I feel that the common educational system may implant a competitive drive for personal progression with very little regard for a holistic view of the world and how individuals affect it. It forces students into a limited field of knowledge and releases them into society with thousands of dollars in debt, which instills a sense of urgency to get a job that will make the individual financially stable and able to pay back the debt and future bills. That individual will most likely stay on this limited individualistic path, fruitlessly pursuing perpetual comfort as a result of this conditioning and ultimately live a life for oneself, with little regard for the rest of humanity or, maybe more importantly, our host. So in order to really figure out what exactly needs changing and what is actually true in today’s world, I need to explore and engage in this planetary situation free of financial and socioeconomic ties that distract attention and limit awareness. I want to pursue my education outside of confining syllabi and structures, through conversing with minds all over the country and world while producing as much as possible. I’m open to seeing things in totally new ways instead of mindlessly accepting my present perspective as absolute.
I will be using this website as a connection to my family, friends, and all those I meet, so that any knowledge and experience I gain, I will share, and ideally, so will you.