Here in Chicago, the ever-present ice cream man is still on the block, with his melodic bell piercing the air and enticing throngs of hungry children on their way home from school. He is one of the last signs of summer that will indeed be gone in a week. Everything is heading back to "normal" once again as the population's youth are back in their classrooms.
This past week, I had my last first day of school as I'm on track to receive my bachelors degree in May, and I have recently begun to realize how much my identity is tied to being a student.
I cannot remember a time when I was not one. You save four dollars at the movies and get discounts for theatre, museum and concert admissions, so you're telling me that now I have to pay full price? Any time a form asks you to state your occupation, I have always ticked Student; there are always a lot of other choices, sometimes broad, sometimes specific but I have always bee-lined to the Student box, and now I can't help but wonder what new box will I check next? Will that part of the form remain blank? For how long will the "occupation" box remain unmarked?
America is the land of the free, the home of the brave and, for the past three years, my home, and if there is one thing I have seen in my past three years, it is that jobs are not an easy thing to come by these days. The prospect of walking across the stage with a cap and gown on and receiving my university degree is exciting but also terrifying.
The prospect of entering the job market in this economy is about as exciting as being attacked by wild cats.
I met a man on the train the other day who was a successful interior designer but since the economy has taken a turn, he has to moonlight at a pizzeria and a septic disposal company (fantastic combination, I know). Even the idea of starting at the bottom of the ladder is not so promising; even if you climb the ladder, you may take a fall off it and confront survival jobs like this. In the year 2011 is there is such a thing as one solid career for the lifetime? Does everyone have to put on the entrepreneurial hat?
I know I have said before that the life of a student has many challenges but it has become clear that life has many challenges. During your college years, you are pushed harder than you ever thought you could, you learn to navigate situations, and predict and anticipate for possible outcomes. But it is all theoretical, and soon it will be time to put the theory into practice. I have made good decisions and bad decisions. I am excited about what the future holds - excited but also unsure.
The carousel music of the ice cream truck sure can make me nostalgic for the carefree days of running in the house and demanding money for the most important thing: ice cream.
But for now, with the sound of the ice cream man in the distance, I shall buckle down and prepare for the best year of my school career. This is the year of big decisions and final creations.
It is my year to make the future happen.
Naomi Yorke is a Port Coquitlam student who lived in Shanghai, China for four years, writing about her experiences twice a month for The Tri-City News. She now lives in Chicago, where she's attending art school, and continues her column.
