Expectations and Responsibilities

 When we are young, we look forward to growing up and becoming an adult. We glorify being an adult, getting the independence we have been yearning for since our childhood and enjoying life to the fullest without restrictions. The realisation of all the responsibilities that come with it only hits us when we embark on the journey of adulthood.

Growing up, I was completely fascinated with the idea of being an adult, fending for myself, and all the freedom that came with it. For me there was no downside that I could see, no problems that I had considered I would have and no ‘responsibilities’ that I had noted. Few months away from becoming a legal adult, reality struck and now I was caught up in a whirlwind of a situation. The various societal ‘expectations’, requirements and necessities were now ruling my life.

There were questions asked about my academic plans, my future career prospects, the field I would want to pursue and where I saw my life in the near future.

I had no definite answer to any of these questions!

Those questions instilled a new fear in me. The fear of the unknown and unforeseen future. Being an only child, with expectations also came great responsibilities. I was living in a world of delusions all this while. The real world had just shown me a glimpse of what it had in store for me and I had immediately panicked. Unfortunately, these realities of life strike when you least expect it to.

I recollected the many dreams I had for myself growing up and how they just got lost in the way. I was now expected to navigate my path in life independently. I would always have my parents to guide me, but this path was for me to choose, to decide and to take.

 

-Rtr Anisha Lakshmanan