Easter Eggs
In an excerpt from “Always on the side of the Egg” by Haruki Murakami, the author explains how each person is like an egg with a “unique, irreplaceable soul enclosed in a fragile shell.” He states that each of us must confront “The System” in its attempt to standardize human beings.
I felt that this excerpt was extremely relatable for teenagers going through high school. We are all taught from the same curriculum despite students who may learn differently or who are interested in doing something different with their lives. Social media and our modern culture has caused many teens to blindly follow trends in order to fit in or become more popular despite how this takes away a level of individuality.
I speak from experience when I say that the system I know wears me down. I often feel as though I am bogged down with work and things to do, finally catch up, and then have to do it all over again the next week. This repetition and monotonous drone that I feel my days falling into has taken away parts of my unique, irreplaceable soul. I no longer paint. I no longer write in a journal. I no longer read in my free time. Things I love to do I cannot seem to find the motivation for anymore. Some of this is my own fault, but the system human beings created also leads me to believe I must achieve success and perfection, and to do so I do not have time for these other activities.
I question the system because of its corruption and inability to take into account the uniqueness of the people that make it up. I do think that changes can be made to better promote individuality, and many people have already taken up this task. Being unique is now something that can get you famous in our day-in-age. I appreciate this change because it encourages me to pursue individuality, and I hope it does so for others as well. I see people not only as eggs, but as Easter eggs; each one its own in color and design.
