Sereena Kumar
By Sereena Kumar
As I stepped out of the DMV with my license and my head held high, I thought of all the new memories I could create. The places I could drive to were limitless; with the wind in my hair, I could go get ice cream with my friends or go off campus at lunch. As I started driving, however, I realized that it wasn’t the GPS saying, “You have reached your destination,” that gave me a rush in my heart. It was the exhilaration I felt while driving. The journey became more thrilling as I sang along to my “Driving Playlist” (which is now 1,164 songs long). The mindset of reaching a tangible destination to benefit my future had been so ingrained in my life that I lost sight of what really drove me and made me want to wake up every morning.
I never understood when my mom asked me, “Do you want to go out for a drive?” There was nowhere to go — I didn’t have a class or a club that we would be driving to. It would be 5:00 pm on a random Tuesday when she posed the question. I quizzically raised my brow and declined the offer. Funnily enough, I am now the one who asks this question. For a long time, I approached my creative aspirations the same way I viewed those drives — only with a purpose when given a specific destination.
I only picked up a paintbrush when school required it for a creative project. I only curled up with a good book when I had a reading assignment for English. I knew I needed to change the belief that because there wasn’t a grade attached to my passion, that it was meaningless. A good friend of mine offered a solution that erased my desire to strive for perfection: she told me to randomly scribble on paper and then doodle the outlines of what I saw. Without an end product in mind, I was able to construct a masterpiece that I could be proud of without having to receive an “A+” on it.
Before I took charge of my own steering wheel, I was often driven by “FOMO.” The “fear of missing out” is a phenomenon that many adolescents experience, especially as social media has created false narratives and pressured many into living life “aesthetically.” Instead of savoring moments with my friends, I attended every single event because I worried about the consequences if I missed one. Social burnout arose as I never allowed myself to rest.
Now, I recognize the importance of taking intentional self-care breaks. I’ve flipped the FOMO narrative to “What if I miss out on caring for myself?” My peaceful weekend sessions at my favorite café, Java Jive, have taught me that I don’t always need to be at the center of what’s popular or trendy. I can let go of FOMO and performative measures by sitting in a café. Sitting alone at a table used to scare me; I felt embarrassed to be seen as a lonely person without friends. Now, I enjoy the feeling of being alone while I discover an underrated corner and find the beauty in mundanity.
At the start of my senior year, I feared missing out on the “high school experience” that was portrayed in the movies I watched growing up. Yet, I am now defining my own version of that experience. There can be some moments of silence — not every day has to be packed with activity — and I have the freedom to spontaneously plan something that will put a smile on my face: the other day, I bought cute frog miniatures to stick on my car!
It is worthwhile to pursue simple passions in life. There doesn’t need to be a grand reason for venturing out of the house; driving just for the sake of driving is my favorite pastime. The day I got my license, I no longer clutched the steering wheel with hesitation; I was in control of it as I uncovered a new realm of possibilities.
Sereena Kumar is a senior at Enloe High School and has a passion for writing. Contact: [email protected]
