Growing up, you weren’t exposed to much. The only things you knew were how to hold a phone, occasionally try in school, watch movies, and in extreme cases, sleep. You lived the same simple routine. The only things you thought were hard were whistling and rolling your R’s. If you’re being honest with yourself, you only remember this because your parents showed you pictures. They showed you a picture of your sixth birthday today. You vaguely remember the toys you got that day, and how you ended up not using them. You liked your Toy Story figures too much to abandon them.
Like a spider, your eighteenth birthday creeped up on you. Though it feels like you just had your seventeenth. You tell yourself you’re excited, but deep down you’re scared for your life. What happened to your Xbox and Toy Story toys? How do taxes work? Nobody ever taught you in school. People told you about them, and said they were hard. You didn’t expect them to be this hard though. On the contrary, you have full freedom now. It’s gratifying, but nothing has ever horrified you more. What are you supposed to do with all of your time? You don’t even know how to cook yet, as your parents always did it for you. You might just have to stick with microwaved ramen and leftover fast food for now. Everything is scary. Why is everything scary? You were told being an adult would be fun. This isn’t fun.
Since then it’s been a few years, and contrary to your belief, it is fun. You’re still trying to get a handle of things, and you only barely understand taxes now. That’s okay though, you’re getting by. This isn’t to say you aren’t still stressed, but you’re having some fun, right? This isn’t that awful. You might even be having more fun than you were as a teenager. Life is definitely harder, but being self reliant comes with a lot of freedom. You had your first beer a couple of months ago. It didn’t go incredibly well though. Apparently, after you had a few too many drinks, your friends had to drag you away from somebody you thought was Chris Evans. You might have to tone back on that in the future. Eventually, you get a good enough gist of being an adult to help others with the things you were so scared of. You had friends to help you out, so you feel an obligation to assist others who go through the same thing.
However, something odd happens when you decide to help. These kids are still in high school. You try telling them about what the transition is like, and how scary it can be at first, but they shrug you off. Why’d they do that? You were just trying to lend a hand. Hold on. You did the same as them when you were their age, didn’t you? Yes you did. You probably just tried to forget it in an attempt at saving yourself from the embarrassment. Why would those kids react any differently? You eventually realized how much you needed the assistance, so they probably will too. You know you’ll be there to help. Until then, it’s their loss. They have to cope with being scared of everything and stressed all the time now. Hopefully they grow out of it at some point or another.
While growing up can be daunting, and even appalling to some, it has its perks. You can’t lie, your life is pretty awesome right now. You get to meet new people all the time, and in the future, you’ll be able to take classes that actually interest you. School might actually be fun then. That’d be pretty cool, right? Imagine how awesome it would be if school was fun. Who knows, the angsty high school kids might even grow up to be pretty cool (or the polar opposite if they aren’t careful). It would be odd if you ended up being friends with them. You’re enjoying your life a lot now. The change was initially really scary, but with your friends’ help, you got through it. The process is slow, but definitely worth the time and effort. You hope that eventually others will come to realize the same thing. As long as you’re patient with them they’ll get through it, just like you did.
Citations –
Reflection on Double Trouble – Maryann Lucas – http://oilpaintingsmaryannlucas.blogspot.com/2011/01/reflection-on-double-trouble.html
Hanging Out with Friends and Talking, Rebecca Krutsinger – https://stlws.org/2023/01/15/our-congratulations-69/
Dancing at a Bar, AM FineArtPrints – https://pixels.com/featured/dancing-in-a-bar-01-am-fineartprints.html
would be this article and the film ‘Pleasantville’. Pleasantville is about a perfect town, with no imperfections. In the film there is a lady named Betty, she is the mom of both Bud and Mary-Sue. She is expected to be a perfect wife, making sure that everything is ready for her husband when he gets home. When she messes up she is not perceived as perfect anymore. Through out the movie Betty changes, she finds pleasure and starts to fall out of love with her husband. Pleasantville is around the time of the 1950’s, Betty doesn’t have a job, which is normal in that time period. Whereas in this generation everyone has equal rights.
Plato was a Greek philosopher who wrote most of his work in dialogues between his old teacher, Socrates and some of Socrates’ followers and critics. In the Republic, Socrates shares a story of people living in a cave with his follower Glaucon. The story is an allegory for human society and the pursuit of knowledge. The story describes chained prisoners who were placed in a cave from birth. The prisoners were chained in a way where they were only able to face the wall in front of them without being able to move their heads and limbs. A fire was placed on the opposite side of the cave with a raised walkway. Puppeteers would carry many objects and statues along the raised pathway, casting shadows on the wall the prisoners could see. As the prisoners only saw the shadows of the objects, the shapes were changed and appeared bizarre to the prisoners. The shadows were used to describe the prisoners’ reality, as they viewed the world through shadows or given information. A prisoner was then released from the cave and was dragged outside. At first, the freed prisoner was blinded by the light but soon became accustomed to his surroundings. As he was able to get used to the light, he began to perceive the actual reality of the world and was able to acknowledge the shadows as only being illusions. The realization and recognition experienced by the freed prisoner symbolize expanding knowledge and recognizing the truth. 
The freed prisoner tries to tell his fellow prisoners in the cave about the outside world, but they are reluctant and believe he is crazy, unable to accept reality. The reluctant prisoners represent those unwilling to obtain new knowledge and truth as they consider their reality the world’s true reality. The film “Pleasantville” is a story of two teens, David and Jennifer, from the 1990s who were transported into a back-and-white television sitcom set in the 1950s called “Pleasantville.” The presence of the two teens disrupts the “perfect” world of Pleasantville as they challenge the town’s conservative values and beliefs, which leads to black-and-white objects and people being seen in color. The citizens of Pleasantville experience new knowledge and ideas, which lead them to undergo personal changes that question their previous traditional lives. The story shares the power of embracing change to explore one’s true nature in a “perfect” yet unresourceful world.
In the Allegory of the Cave, Plato shows the difference by contrasting the people living outside the cave and the prisoners who were forced to look at the shadows cast by objects. The two mediums explore the journey of enlightenment from ignorance. The people in “Pleasantville” all undergo a transformation from realization and self-discovery when they question the reality of the world they are living in to find the truths of life. When the individuals in Bill Johnson’s soda shop ask Bud about the books’ storyline and David’s original home, they try to understand the truth that lies beyond their everyday lives. The Allegory of the Cave and “Pleasantville” both explore the concept of breaking social norms. In the Allegory of the Cave, the freed prisoner challenges the prisoners’ daily lives by expressing his finding of the outside world. The prisoners cannot accept the true reality of their world and believe the freed prisoner has lost his mind. The freed prisoner feels pity for the reluctant prisoners but continues to live truthfully. In “Pleasantville,” the citizens who appear in color challenge the beliefs of the citizens seen in black-and-white. The citizens of color accept knowledge and the truth, encouraging a shift in the understanding of reality within the population.
David was able to help his dad in “Pleasantville,” George, be seen in color when he could give words to the emotions he felt towards his wife, Betty. Lastly, in both texts, the symbolism of the light is evident. The light is used to express knowledge, truth, and enlightenment. The characters could move away from the darkness and into the light when they accepted the realities presented to them. The light or color demonstrates the perception of the true world in a new way. Plato’s Allegory of the Cave and “Pleasantville” show the importance of critical thinking, self-discovery, and the striving for knowledge.