Loophole out of the Madness

Stereotypically, “adulting right” consists of a lot of bare-minimum, seemingly just-average days being our most chaotic where we itch and claw at the insides of our heads to escape out. I find myself seriously impaired - as if an unknown force is stirring life this way or that, barking such a loud commotion until I’ve found even the most basic of things that should provide comfort, are hassles just to figure out and follow through on. It isn’t hard to recognize the number one battle in young adults today will always boil down to: income stability, a maintained mental health, and on top of those, finding a way to contribute to the world in a meaningful way (all the while trying to find a joy through these processes). “So what, huh?” you may ask, when it’s so easy to point out obvious struggles - without providing much more to it than that. This however is my first effort to provide more to it than that; this is a letter is to my young adults of any age range that can relate. I truly believe there is a set of standards that has not been so easily provided to us through written lessons, but just as easily, is out there, and does seem to offer a set of standards for life if we lived by we could find joy through the mundane. By no means do I aim to take shot at any functioning members of society by discrediting hard work when hard work is apparent, or to discredit anyone’s choice in life, or will I be discussing any specific faith as I think we all have our own welded ideas that won’t leave our brains - let me share with you my theory, based on my story, on a loophole out of the madness.

Writing an essay on why being me, a karaoke jockey working gigs for bars, gives me a means to speak on this matter, also easily paves way for a critic to persecute me as a charlatan. Because in their defense, yes, those people would easily be right, I do not work too a hard job. So - what ground is there? Let me compel you to not so easily take those shots, and just take in this unique perspective from a nobody trying to be a somebody, just like you. Jeez, now I feel like a tabloid magazine offering some easy way out - but I promise - whatever I’m offering isn’t an easy commitment to stick to by any means.

Any person can get up on that stage behind a computer and be a KJ, that is one of the easiest critiques I’ve instilled in myself from the start of this job and given the entire KJ/DJ industry. Anyone else could be doing what I am doing now, just as easily as anyone could flip that burger or scoop that cream. I know this, because I’ve been that young adult whose first job was as a kitchen team member at Chick-Fil-A hardly making anything hunched over a breading table (I believe it was $7 or something around there in Georgia). Moving to LA helped with the pay a bit, but transferring to just another CFA still had me breaking my tall back to pound and bread those lumps of chicken, and then dropping endless loads of them into an unforgiving oil for waves of the hungry pescatarians. One side note to how harsh the environment really was mentally, was that I use to get nightmares even after the job, that I was still in the kitchen needing to yell out, “HEARD!” to someone calling out an order with my name attached. I learned first hand from riding my bike to and from work those years just how bad the homeless problem was, so I tried and see if I could do something about it in my minor position.

(I promise you, I think I am getting somewhere.) Despite the remarks I’d get from team members on the large plastic bag I’d fill to save food that normally was trashed just to turn into an unhealthy Co2 - I still filled it and put the food to better use. Habitually, every Saturday, I would fill a large bag, and give out as much food as I could as I made my way home at 12 am. So lets check the list, yes, I was making money to stay afloat and be stable, yes, I was providing to my community by helping feed the homeless when I could, but I lacked a mental stability for myself due work restraints hurting me physically and tiring me out so much, that I mentally had no space for healthy creative outlets.

I see it like this. instead of being complicit with those who will willingly and happily stomp on you - be optimistic that one day those qualifications you’ve set for a happy life will be met for yourself (refer to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs). You can’t get caught up in, “What if I am not good enough?” because the truth is, none of us are really good enough. We all have on our own struggles, but are all on the same playing field of “humanity”, where we can choose to seek the knowledge out there in the world, or a desire that easily will bring you back to square one. Thankfully, after a few more jobs and some risk taking in my personality development, I landed a job as a KJ where I am today, and I’m able to give way more back to myself and the people. I read during slow times and write for online challenges like this, something I never would have done for myself or had time for. I am able to give to the people by giving them a chance to relax and connect, with a day in the week to look forward to even if they don’t sing - and for those that do sing, a chance for the spotlight to be on them and feel special for a night. I still maintain that same lesson and give extra tips I make to the homeless.

My loophole out? Optimism. I don’t know if my way is the best, I had to hate life for a long time and think I was a nihilist before I found a brighter light to life. Right now the world is a mess, and if you’re getting older while still struggling through the heartless mundane, then I recommend you a few things. First would be to see what areas or hobbies in your life may offer routes out, so that you can make that money and putting a more worth while attitude back out there in the world through your passions. I’ve always loved music, I spend my weeks going through brand new playlists to find the most obscure songs and downloading them straight from YouTube to my hard drives so I’ll never lose them. My question to you is, why does it seem like this arbitrary system of labor that’s expected of all to take part in, is also set up in such a way that it fails each individual? Well my motto is that usually the simpler answers are more often than not the correct ones. We live in a world where those most of those in power don’t see humans surrounding them, but will look on at easily replaceblae cogs. On the flip side, (always those two sides remember?) we also are here in a world where creative intuition offers massive payback if you coordinate strategically on how you offer it up. So what now? Do your best to get out of this down-right crap system while you can, even if that means just trying to be a better person - an optimistic mind just may lay a trail for opportunities ahead.

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I’d like to end with imploring you to explore some tangible material I’ll leave with you - that your ears will intake as vibrations, but your brain will understand as humanitarian poetry - music. Songs that have been overwhelming powerful in their aid to a mind stuck in the oozing pit of pessimism.

In Matt Corby’s ,“Better,” I use to find myself lost in the simplistic indie tune, and a chorus that rang out the one word I needed to hear, “better”. For so long, I took for granted the simple message that always seemed to be playing whenever I needed a reminder why I am here and if I feel bad the only way out is to get better. But there was one time I heard a part in the first verse I had never listened as close to before, and it turned out to be one of the most influential lines I’ve heard produced by our generation, “There’s no right or wrong ya’ see, just patience, and, addiction”. You’ll really have to hear it for yourself, but the light hearted rhyming and rhythm, on such a complex idea, will easily put into perspective our choices by boiling our them down to two options.

Similarly in Tim Baker’s, “Dance”, the chorus sings out that he just wants to dance with you, that’s all he wants to do. A simple message with another message hidden under the simplicity (the music video does itself an incredible justice) but stands alone lyrically. In the first pre chorus Baker asks a similar question, “Sorrow or joy, which do you like? If that’s the choice, then why can’t you decide?”

Just food for thought, but I think a lot more happy and creative people in this world have already realized those are the two choices in life. Some rely on a faith to help make it easier at understanding, but for those lacking a faith, you can still find messages of life’s simplicity sprinkled throughout the world if you just happen to listen and take a look around - because I’m sure they’ll graciouslly greet you...