“The truth is, everyone is going to hurt you. You just got to find the ones worth suffering for.”

Bob Marley

Everyone seeks the answer to the notorious question: What is the meaning of life? Yes, I am just an average fifteen-year-old boy who (as my parents always tell me) “has no idea” about the real hardships and wonders of life. However, I’d like to share with you what I have learned playing this game called life. When I ask what gets you through your day, you immediately think of materialistic things like cell phones, video games, or TV. All of which gets me through my day as well. Reflectively, these things that help you “survive” life, from TikTok and Youtube to family and friends, are the very things that make life worth living.

Although most people believe that temporary things we do throughout the day like using social media or listening to music are simple day-to-day necessities, they do have a significant impact on us. Without my gaming pc or my Xbox, my daily routine of school, swim practice, and sleep would be dull and depressing. Video games allow me to take a mental break and connect with my friends online. They provide a quick way to stimulate my brain in a way that brings me joy.

More importantly, my family and friends keep me going. It can be as simple as asking how my day at school was or how hard my practice was. Nevertheless, they always choose to support me and pick me up when I’m down. They’re not just what helps me survive, they’re who I live for. I go to school and endure my classes so that I am able to create a life where I can enjoy quality time with my friends. I swim eight times a week so I can go to college consequently saving my family money or just making them proud. In this way, I race and learn for my own well-being, yes, but also for my mom, dad, brother, and all others I love.

Through my expression of personal knowledge, I hope that you’ve perceived not just what gets me through my day, but what (or who) getting through my day is for. You see, if we humans change our way of thinking “how do I get to Sunday” to appreciating the time we have, life will start to look more colorful than a black and white 90s cartoon loop that we seem to be stuck in. This is what I have obtained through experience to answer the question, Why go on?