1939-2004. Maybe “Loving mother and wife.” And a name. That’s all you get to describe a persons life: the year they were born, the year they died, and a dash. We have to be sure to live that dash.
Life seems to be this intangible balance, which no one really has figured out. There are thousands of different things, and you only have two hands to hold them. So you pile up that paper you have due tonight, a call you owe your dad, dinner with that friend you keep cancelling on, and a soccer practice you can’t skip again all in your right hand. In your left you have that new show on Discovery that you’ve been dying to watch, hanging out with your boyfriend, cleaning your tornado-zone of a room, and oh yeah, sleep. You dance around, trying not to let anything fall. You’re never fully present because this circus act takes all of your attention, selfishly hoarding it behind locked doors. But inevitably something shifts, and the whole perilous tower comes crashing down. It’s devastating, but what can you do? You know nothing different, so you pick each piece up and pile them on again, foolishly hoping this time around it will be sturdier.
This may be life, but it is not living.
That dash you get should not be faded by worry. It should not be cracked by stress or weathered by tears. It should be etched deep into that stone, each new experience digging a little deeper. That road-trip you took with your friends in the middle of the summer should be there, each out of tune song-lyric nestled safely in the granite. Those 3 am chocolate-chip pancakes from the diner down the street should be there too, right next to that Dracula paper for English you were really proud of, yet that only got a B.
You have to live your dash.
It’s so easy to let living take a back seat to life. Life is trying to live up to your parents’ expectations. Life is trying to pass that unreasonably difficult weed-out class that is Organic Chemistry. Life is partaking in a friendship that drains your soul, just because you feel obligated. These things are all around, pervading your every thought. They seem like the most important things in the world; like if you do them you will be fulfilled. And maybe that’s true. But will you be happy? Maybe your father’s pride that you joined the family business and your friend’s lightning-fast hug after she downloaded all her problems to you will temporarily fill the holes in your heart where happiness should go. But here’s the thing about temporary: it doesn’t last.
Happiness lasts. Happiness sticks in those holes like cement, filling every nook and cranny. Because it doesn’t go away, happiness builds on itself until it bursts forth from you, illuminating everyone and everything you come in contact with. And you get happiness from living. You get happiness from being in that musical, even though they put you in the back because, lets face it, your dancing skills are sub-sub-par. You get happiness from going to a playground in the middle of the night and spending hours on the tire swing. You get happiness from going to watch your best friends play lacrosse on a beautiful spring day, and cheering embarrassingly loudly when they score.
But none of these moments mean anything when you’re not present. You can’t get true happiness when you’re still part of the circus balancing act. So, drop everything. Just for a few hours. Watch a show, take a nap, read a book. Do anything to empty your mind of the to-do lists, the deadlines, the time restraints. Then, pick up one thing at a time. Only one thing. Write the paper without thinking about calling your dad. Watch that show without picturing your messy room in your head. Be fully engaged in each activity, and you will start living your life instead of participating in it.
When you die, that dash becomes you. It represents every heartache, every leap of joy, every moment. Don’t waste those moments worrying about that physics test you took last week or how what medical school you get into will affect your future. Appreciate those moments for what they are: a chance to live your dash.
I really like the structure of essay. The combination of long paragraphs and short paragraphs with only one sentence creates a unique tone for this essay. I also agree with Darby that you essays are always relatively personal, at the same time, approachable and inspiring to readers. The pattern of this essay is also unique by repeating emphasis on “live your dash”. I really like this essay and cannot think of any big revise you need to make.
Your voice is very present in this essay as it has been in everything you’ve written this semester. I love the symbolism you use throughout this essay as it really gives the reader something to focus on as well as something really memorable to think about at the conclusion of your essay. I really like the way you start your last paragraph, and I think you could expand that a little bit instead of ending with such a short paragraph… just a thought.
I love the title of your essay! It really sums up your essay nicely and sounds really unique and really stuck with me. In your opening paragraph, I feel like the last sentence came on a little suddenly, but that might just be my personal preference. Also, I like the rest of the structure of the preceding sentences so instead of taking out the date (since people said they were waiting for a story) you could just say, “Two dates. Maybe “Loving mother…” That way you wouldn’t have to change anything else. I like the one lines throughout the essay, it really drew attention to some of the big takeaways in your piece. Overall, I really liked it!
Erin, I loved this essay! It was definitely very motivational and inspiring. It forced me to really think about my own life and I wondered whether or not I was living my dash or not. (I’m not haha). I really liked the organization of this essay because it helped you emphasize the big points that you wanted to stick out, and as a reader I found those points more apparent and clear as I was reading. I can’t figure out anything huge to critique about it. I think this essay is a little different than your previous ones because this one doesn’t include an obvious personal anecdote in it. Overall, it’s a great essay!! Good job!
Erin, I really enjoyed reading this essay as well. I think the thing that caught my eye the most, was the way you connected the first and last paragraphs of the essay, which made it very coherent. I also thought that you described the “dash” as it should be, very well. Your essay, and your message, is overwhelmingly relatable to most people, and the experiences you mention are shared amongst almost all of us. I can see how the happiness paragraph fits into the argument, but I would suggest making that a little bit more explicit. Otherwise, I thought it was a very interesting and intriguing paper. Awesome job!
I always love reading your essays! I think your writing style is so personable and I can always tell when it is your essay because your writing voice is so unique. In this essay I particularly like what you have done with the stand alone sentences, I think those really make a point. I do however think you should take out the paragraph about happiness. Thats the only part you kind of lost me because sadness is a part of the dash too. I also didn’t really see how it related to living your life to the fullest. You could leave it in, but you could also change it to how happiness is just one part of the dash.