Why I Think Narratives Matter
First and Foremost, I’m 21. Meaning that I don’t know much about life, at least that’s what society tells me. And that’s fair—I’ve only lived on Earth for twenty one years, and I only remember about fifteen of those. Nonetheless for the tiny grasp I have on life, I think there is something I should say, or rather have to say, about narratives. About the stories each one of us is. About the substance, if you will, that makes someone who they are.
Take me, for example—Dominican, identity issues, introvert, nerd, confused about career choices(the classic struggle between selling your soul to corporations and doing something because you love it)—the list goes on and on. And yeah that’s me, that’s my story—my narrative. Of course, this will change over time. Today I’m in college, trying to major in Computer Science(because “I love it,” at least that’s what I tell myself). But, at some point or another, I’ll graduate, or at least I intend to. Then I’ll get a job, and if I’m fortunate enough, I’ll grow as a human being. Maybe even give into capitalism, and yes: I am one of those people that will ruin your day by reminding you that we are all under this umbrella, that we’ve agreed to be, called capitalism. That companies study your behavior, make an equation out of your life, and make bank on that. And look, I don’t have that big of a problem with it—I often find myself wanting money. Longing for the comforts of financial security, because you know what? Having money is not necessarily a bad thing. Having zero debt, going to a concert once in a while, having the monetary resources for when someone in the family is sick—it’s nice to be “comfortable.” But I do think that there’s something here that needs to be mentioned, something that I think many people, except for the “starving artists,” forget. And that is: does any of this steal our humanity? Does capitalism, or rather, our fast-paced “lifestyle.” Does this “system” suck what makes us human? Yes, go ahed, call me a hipster—people have three times in my lifetime. And trust me, it doesn't get more bizarre for a Dominican kid than being called a “hipster”. I mean I didn't know what a hipster was till I got to college. Anyway, getting back on the note of capitalism sucking the life out of us, I do think that there is some worth into getting our heads out of asses and saying “do I work too much?”, “should I try something new?”, “Remember when I used to watch movies every weekend and wrote fanfic?” And does it matter whether you keep on doing the things you “used to do”? I think it matters a lot because, as obvious as it sounds, what you used to do before, and what you do now. Wether that’s watching Anime or writing silly short stories, these things are who you are. They’re things that no one can take away from you. They’re part of your narrative. A narrative that you’re the main character of. A story where you’re the hero, the Captain America, the one that saves the day. And I think that’s the power behind stories. The nature of any story is the fact that we are stories. Also I think this is what makes a book, song, poem, or movie such a powerful thing—these things, with their inherent nature of narrative, represent, better yet, they are who we are. And this, I genuinely believe is what drives us—the fact that I think each of us, regardless of our background, strive to move this story forward.
Or, I could just be an obnoxious hipster dwelling into a first-world problem no one cares about.
