Prompt: What do these texts suggest to you about the ways in which individuals deal with the prospect of an uncertain future?
Reality is not always what one desires, and the inevitable future is unforeseeable leading individuals to deal with their situation in a multitude of ways; furthermore, these people aspire to feel secure and comforted as experience proves the future unfolds unprecedentedly. As depicted by the visually impaired man in the picture, all humans are blind towards their futures as we can not exactly predict what may happen. Everyone has their own unique course of action when faced with an uncertain future: some will let life come at them and not care, while others will do everything in their power to ensure they will be ready for what they may encounter. Ultimately, individuals pertain to a certain object or person which they discover comfort in; it enables them to have a sense of security for the unavoidable future. Through having a sense of safety in something or someone, the belief and feeling is developed that they will be prepared for the quickly arriving future, which is reflected in the poem About My Father’s Plot To Get Home.
Through the poem, About My Father’s Plot To Get Home, Jayanta Mahapatra develops the idea that individuals have a solace which they can depend on, as it gives them reassurance for the uncertain future. The end of the first stanza and the beginning of the second conveys these ideas as the speaker states, “I remember my father took my arm and set out struggling for his apparent home. It did not know its own past. It looked the way it always had.” Literally, in these lines the speaker expresses that the father took his/her arm and went out in search of a home, and it had no past and looked the same way as always. However metaphorically, these lines have immense depth, the it can be interpreted as the uncertain future since it will always reveal itself, and there is nothing you can do to stop this event. In addition, the father is searching for home as the idea of home connotes comfort and safety. The father hopes to reach this security as there is an unpredictable future approaching, so this solace of home enables him to feel ready to face the numerous hardships ahead. The fact that this future is inevitable and will come, which is exemplified in the poem, creates fear in some, so to feel better they search for whatever will help make them bear the events to come. Individuals cannot stop the future as time will continue to move, so by discovering a solace people have more comfort for the days to come. Humans often are more content when they have a sense of security, and since the future is unpredictable individuals often need to acquire that object or person that inspires comfort in them. As a young aspiring boy, I quickly realized the cruel realities of the world as I lost innocence which resulted in me dealing with my problems in a variety of ways and discovering the things that I could find depend on.
When I was a young child life truly was terrific! I looked forward to each day with immense joy and optimism. I was protected from the harsh world by my loving parents. However, as I aged I learned of the tragedies of the world and how terrible everything can be. In school, I learned the horrors of slavery and World Wars as innocent people had to undergo unimaginable pain and struggle. I started to think how life can change in an instant. Though, my character still was to make the best of every situation and do what I can to enjoy life. This can be reflected in my world today, the COVID-19 pandemic is leaving devastating impacts on the world as economies are taking a heavy toll while thousands of people are dying daily. Despite the uncertainty of how much more this virus will affect our lives, I am enjoying every day thoroughly. I have learned to prepare and do what I can so that I can be more prosperous in future days. I tend to do what I can in the present moment, hoping that I am minimizing my stress in the future. For example, before the pandemic even put our city into a lockdown my family was prepared with everything from sanitizers to masks, and I was thrilled to try online school. Life was going to be quite different from what it has been the past ten years, but I was excited since I knew school would be much easier. Though, sometimes I am scared as to what may come so I learned that I can always depend on family, they are always there for me. Within my life, I have depended on my parents a great deal as when I was a kid I was so afraid of going on planes because I heard ample stories of them crashing leaving many dead. Though my mom and dad were there for me, holding my hand during takeoff and making sure I was comfortable. It shows how individuals need to depend on something to be ready for our uncertain future and we all deal with situations in a variety of ways.
The unpredictable future that is inevitable prompts individuals to seek for a solace which they can put their trust and reliability towards; this enables them to feel comfortable when facing the challenges of the future. They do this as experience tells us life can be cruel and we will never know what comes next, so to make us a little content we try to comfort ourselves. Everyone has their own way of dealing with their reality, but when there is fear and anxiousness of what one may face tomorrow, they naturally search for a sense of security. On the contrary, a solace can create the illusion that everything will turn out fine so they do nothing about their current situation which leads to their demise. As depicted through the poem About My Father’s Plot To Get Home and my personal experiences individuals know that the future is going to come and may unfold in various ways, so by finding an item or person that one can find comfort in they are able to feel secure and have a more optimistic outlook as to what may come. Therefore, a solace and sense of security, provides individuals with the ability to feel ready for an uncertain future, which cannot be stopped or predicted, so that we at least feel slightly prepared for the days to come.
