Member-only story
We All Live One Life — But Some of Us Live Two
A guide to recounting the moments that change everything
“We have two lives, and the second begins when we realize we only have one.” — Confucius
Life number one
For sure I’ve felt like I’ve lived more than one life.
Life #1 began when I was born. From that moment on, I was at the mercy of my parents and those around me for protection, care, and influence. All of my decisions were made for me from where I lived, to the foods I ate, and the people I spent time with. Everything was predetermined for me.
The person I became was molded by the decisions of others. I followed the societal plan, played by the rules, and occasionally made a choice or two on my own such as the girls I liked and the sports and video games I played.
I hate to sound like I’m complaining because overall it wasn’t a bad gig. I got to sit back, relax, screw up, and not worry about too many things. I could enjoy just being a kid, so long as I followed my parent’s rules.
After graduating from college, I realized that I had achieved the life plan laid out before me. At just 21 years young, the only thing that was left was to meet a girl, settle down, and live out the rest of my life working to provide.
