In the article “The Right to Fail” I think the title speaks for itself. People do in fact have a right to fail. Society over the years has taught us that going to college and getting a huge luscious office is the only way to prove you are successful. Now people are starting to realize that they can have success in their own individual ways. There is no longer a definite “right” or “wrong” answer. People have the right to find happiness and succeed in the peace core, or in a prestigious corner office. They also have the right to fail as many times as it takes to find what suits them the best.
This article relates to my family and I because Zinsser uses the idea that people learn what is “acceptable” and “unacceptable” thru their parents, and their parents. When my mom wanted to be the first in her whole family to go to college the rest of the family looked down on her and said that it was a waste of time and money because she would not amount to anything anyways. My dad on the other hand had to apply to every college in the book and make straight A’s in order for his parents to consider them their son. The line Zinsser uses for this example is the kids whispering “What if I fail?” and the parents response being “Don’t”. My mother ended up getting more scholarship money for academics then my dad did for football, and she came out with a higher degree. She found her success in doing her school work and getting a good degree, while my dad found his success in playing sports and then focusing on getting a degree. When it came time for me to choose what I wanted to do with my life I took both of their stories into consideration to figure out my own individual outcome of what I thought of as success.
I have failed more times in my life that I would like to actually admit to, but the ironic thing was I did learn from every single slip-up. I am a product of my mother and take pride in my grades and doing well in school. I find success in working towards getting two masters degrees, just as much as a peace core person find success in helping other people.
Success is defined in many different ways and it is up to the individual to fail a couple times in order to find out what they truly consider their own success.
3 comments:
An interesting post. I like how you distinguish between being told what "success" is by parents, and admiring your parents' successes and choosing to emulate those of your own volition.
Hey Brittany, I liked how you related your experiences to Zinsser's story. I also liked how you brought up the experiences of your parents and the idea that people learn what is "acceptable" and "unacceptable" through their family generations. Although both of your grandparents had different beliefs on what success is for their children, your parents proved them wrong. Your mom chose to pursue a college education, to be a first generation to go to college, and for that she became successful. On the other hand, your dad's parents pushed him to get good grades, but his athleticism to him far as well. So its also good to steer yourself in the direction you want to go, instead of just following the path of your parents. Very interesting and great post!
I found it really interesting how you related Zinsser's article to your parents and their success and how you have taken both of their success and made one of your own. I agree with you when you say that success is defined in many different ways and often takes failure to find out what is truly their own success.
Post a Comment