One must always keep in mind that however bad a family life, a job, or even college life can be, someone is out there having a worse time then you. I recently had a jolt to my system of self-loathing after seeing an theatrical adaptation of a fellow friend's life. This is first time I that I realize, in a secular epiphany, that I am quite lucky to have this lot in life. I've had many hardships in my life, maybe even more then my fair share, but I have no reason to try and evoke pity. Sure, I'm been beaten up, called a fag, had my nose broken, and even had bleach shot at me, but there are people out there that have went without food for days or have been mercilessly brutalized.

I apologize, O human race, for foolishly thinking I have had a hard life. However, I have been blessed by the Fates in such a way that I have had a string of luck leading on from second grade. Coming from a family that went to the Salvation Army for Christmas presents a little more then a decade ago, it is a miracle to see that I am honestly well clothed, well-fed, and well-taught at this College. I have bested the expectations of my Mother, my Father, and any other person who I have been lucky enough to meet as I am just beginning to pass into my eighteenth year. Sure, I have actually been touted as "the unhappiest person that a friend ever met", but the time is past for these childish ideals. I still have a multitude of problems to settle before I can truly e happy, but honestly, this release is a burden off my shoulders. Everyday life rarely has any moral content to it, but this night rivals any Fable of Aesop. The door that I have for so long shut to the issues and problems of my other friends is now open. I realize that other people are in the same boat as I, in the fact that every day brings new trials and tribulations to the forefront. Unlike some of my other pieces, I write this not as an urging piece but as a piece of revelation. I did not have a purpose in mind when I first put words to paper, as the tears began to stream down my eyes for no apparent reason.

This adaptation that I watched was the catalyst to completely release all the emotions and pent-up frustration I have been building up for years. Due to my own stubbornness in the past, I have held the view that I was the only one with these major problems in my life. Tonight proved to me the falsity of that statement. In closing, a quote is included by the late Rich Mullins that may not make a great deal of sense in a casual reading of this article. However, there is a purpose, and I hope the masses of NeuFutur readers can find it.

Surrender don't come natural to me
I'd rather fight you for something
I don't really want
Than to take what you give that I need