Monday, May 18, 2015
What "Dharma Bums" Has Taught Me
Approaching graduation at the end of this term, I am utterly terrified as to what to do next with my life. I have a mountain of student debt, literally no where to move when I graduate as of yet, and radically conservative parents who are cutting me off financially at graduation, and expecting me to have a job within like a week of graduation and get straight to work, making money and paying off my debt.
Truth is, I do not want to do any of those things, and I don't particularly know what I want to do. I want to leave everything behind and go travel, but I don't want to come back broke and homeless. With all this swirling around my head, reading the Dharma Bums has kind of helped me figure out what I want, and what I definitely do not want It has taught me that I can basically do anything I set my mind to, and that that is totally okay. I don't have to follow anyone else rules, or live my life in a conventional way, at least not yet. The part of the novel that really struck me the most was when Ray jumps a train from Los Angeles with the little bum and is freezing in the train car. " I'd huddle and mediate on warmth, the actual warmth of God, to obviate the cold"(280). This scenario inspired me to mediate on what I want out of my life, and reading it actually made me feel warm reading it because I realized that you can mediate on something and bring it into being for yourself, no matter what that thing is. It kind of inspired me, and gave me confidence that no matter what I do next will be right for me, even if I end up going on the road for a while.
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That's definitely a dilemma. I know that I'm working at Six Flags for the unforeseeable future after I graduate because I'm already working there and I'm not sure if anyone else will hire me and my Creative Writing degree. I'm glad that you can find peace through what you've read through Dharma Bums, and that's a good attitude to have if you think traveling around is the right way to go. I would however consider looking for something that could give you some source of income before you graduate, as while Dharma Bums might give you spiritual peace of mind, I fear that the financial responsibility that life throws at you after your education ends might overwhelm you. Whatever happens, and whatever you choose to do, I wish you the best of luck and that you find whatever will make you happy
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate how you related Dharma Bums to your own life dilemma. I think the question of what to do with my life is a dilemma that I think a lot of us share in some way or another. It's scary. I think travelling, going on the road, is a good idea. Thats my plan and I know you'll learn a lot even if it is hard at first.
ReplyDeleteIf you decide to travel around, there are ways to make money remotely (telecommuting) or to do the Workaway program as Trey suggested. He brought up in lecture today Teaching English as a Second Language as a viable option as well. There are positions in many different countries, a lot of which only require a Bachelor's Degree and native fluency in English. If traveling is what you want to do, there are definitely ways to make it work.
ReplyDeleteI also think it's wonderful how Dharma Bums affected you; it showed me similar things. Why take steps with Ginsberg's Moloch when you can discover everything else before deciding what you want to do with your life? Sometimes we forget how young we are, how much opportunity surrounds us regardless of the debt we might be in.
ReplyDeleteI also think it's wonderful how Dharma Bums affected you; it showed me similar things. Why take steps with Ginsberg's Moloch when you can discover everything else before deciding what you want to do with your life? Sometimes we forget how young we are, how much opportunity surrounds us regardless of the debt we might be in.
ReplyDeleteI have decided to take matters into my own hands when I graduate! I'm not moving home, and I don't have a job yet, but I have realized through reading the Dharma Bums and through your guys helpful comments that I can create the life I want! So I'm going to couch surf/ hang out in different parts of California until I find a job in Marin County where I want to be! I feel newly energized, and relieved having decided this, and actually a little bit excited while terrified.
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