Oh, the Places You’ll Go! or Not

When my cousin wanted me to read a book to her my mind immediately went to Oh, the Places You’ll Go! Dr. Seuss told many stories that I listened to as a child. I will admit that Oh, the Places You’ll Go! was never my favorite. At the age of six just like her I was sitting in a pretty pink chair begging for a story to be told. I had a strong feeling that I would be able to conjure the world. When the story talked of being the best I could relate. When it spoke of the truth about the way life would go, I plugged my ears and said no. When I wanted something, I made sure I got it. There was no waiting room I would wait in or competition that I could not win. That is why I closed the book and moved on without a second thought. There was a cat in an interesting hat that was more demanding of my attention at the time.

I didn’t think back on that book again until it was time to graduate elementary school and a teacher pulled it out. She read it to us as if we were small children. Some hung on every word. I still thought it was wrong. I would have no lows. I would win all I needed to. I would be famous. Like at the end of the story I would move mountains. So, I tuned her out and stared at the wall. I would deny the hardships that came along with life as long as I could.

Again, I let the story slip my mind until another teacher pulled it out. I had forgotten the words at this point. Then my high school teacher began to read, and the words came flooding back. We were supposed to be ready for the world. It was the last day of high school and it was the beginning of a new adventure. At that point I had been through much more. I hit quite a few lows. I realized they could be out of my control. I still had hope that my future would be bright even with those lows. I vowed to never sit in the waiting place. With that vow and the thought that I could always survive the darkness I said goodbye to the story again.

Now the next time I heard that story there was no future in sight. I had landed myself in the waiting place. I was waiting for things to get better. I was waiting for a better job and better world. I sat and did nothing to help. The pandemic affected many including myself. I was in the college class of 2020. So, all the places I was supposed to go would have to wait. I was hidden in the closet with a fear of everyone’s judgement, so love would have to wait. The microphone in my computer saying the words to the story did not motivate me. They did not move me to make a mark on the world. Instead I felt like I had failed everything.

Everyone at this point in my tale are probably wondering why I picked to read a book that at every point in my life I chose to either ignore or hate. The truth is that most of the time the stories that we do not want to hear are the ones that we need to. I learned that the hard way. I am ready once again to move mountains. This time with Dr. Seuss’s words bouncing in my head as the support I need to follow my journey where I need to go. I hope that my little cousin will be ready for the world as well.