Welcome to the ratrace.

[Vanadium Gryllz]

I'm 17 now, just about to take my A-levels. I do well, I get into the university I want, get a degree, get a job. Welcome to the rest of my life.
I was at a party recently. Kids with dyed hair and catchy tshirt slogans. What are they going to be doing in 10 years? Most of them, I think, will be sat at a desk, thinking back to those good times, wondering where everything changed. And you say 'Well they have the choice to do something different.'

Do they really? Sure you can have green hair now, you're 17! you are just learning how to express yourself. Green hair after university? Good luck getting a good job, friend. Good luck having a comfortable life. You can be different, as long as you are different in Their way. As long as you are the same as everyone else, you can be different.

Back to the ratrace. Remember your first day of school? Wasn't it amazing? There were all these people, and a nice lady to tell you exactly what to do. There's no point in not doing what she says, she's smiling! Sometimes she might give you some colouring to take home and bring in the next day. As soon as you get home, let's sit down and do that work! You love colouring, and look how your parents smile!

Now you are 10, the work is a bit harder but hey, you've been doing what they tell you for five years, why stop now? And after all, they obviously know what's best... they get PAID to do this kind of thing.. and they are so old and wise. Sometimes theres a kid that might do something reactionary, maybe that kid was you. 'What do you mean you didn't do what I told you? Your parents are going to hear of this!' Not the parents. They are so disappointed. And everyone knows. The WHOLE CLASS. You'll probably never be able to go to school again because of the embarrassment. No way are you going to do that again.

17 now are you? Well done, you got all the way through, and even carried on when it 'wasn't compulsory.' But everyone knows that's a lie. It's compulsory if you want to have any kind of life at all, desperately searching for that Easy Ride.  You might be thinking to yourself that some things the teacher says is wrong. You definitely don't enjoy doing all that work they tell you. But you suck it up punk, otherwise you're going to fail your exams. That's right, FAIL. And you'll be worse than those people who didn't even get here. You'll have wasted our time and yours.

So you get the results, you worked your ass off. You are at the University you want to be at, doing the degree you want to do. Everybody's telling you that you are Free. Fucking yeah. You are free to have the most fun you possibly can, and meet new people. You might even like some of them! If you are really lucky, you might even learn something that actually interests you.

But those years... they've flown by. You have a degree now mate, what are you going to do with it? You are a full-blown adult now, you should probably grow up. Don't be immature! Get a job; we need more monkeys at the typewriters: Othello hasn't quite been finished yet.

Oh who's this again? I remember you from my whole life. You were 'teacher' before, you've changed a bit. I have to call you 'boss' and you won't teach me anything any more. Still though, you tell me what to do, and what to think. It's a good job I accept this otherwise you'd have to tell the WHOLE OFFICE. I'd probably never be able to go to work again because of the embarrassment. Anyway, my whole life people have been telling me that this is what's going to happen. There's so many of them... and they said it so loudly. Who am I to speak up against them?

[Requia ☣]

I'm pretty sure if I showed up with green hair tomorrow nobody would care, and I'm doing just fine.

[Vanadium Gryllz]

Why don't you try it and find out?

[Requia ☣]

Becuase the last person who died her hair green here got promoted, and I don't want to be management.   

[Reginald Ret]

well written, not true for everyone.
you want to be different? get rid of your shame and control your fears. Life won't be easy when you step of the beaten path but it will be more entertaining (for those around you, you'll be too busy suffering) Despite my seeming negativity i still recommend it.

[AFK]

One can be a part of the "ratrace" and free at the same time.  Yeah, when you're at the job, you have to do what your Boss tells you, I mean, that's the deal with just about any job really.  However, you don't have to think the way he/she tells you to think.  You can maintain an inner independence.  If the job runs contrary to your ideals, you can always quit and find another gig.  If it isn't a financially viable option, then you might have to stick it out for a few years.  I've been there.  I was in a profession I hated for 8 years.  But, I eventually ended up here where I am happy.  But even back in the Retail Hell days, I found a way to be a part of the corporate system, yet, maintain my personal identity and independence.  Sometimes it takes some finesse, trial and error, etc., but it's doable. 

[Payne]

What RWHN said.

But also adding that NOT being in a job is no more 'free' than being stuck in the daily grind. Trust me, I know from my long experience of being a freelance bum.

[LMNO]

Oh.  Then, stop.

[Cramulus]

When I was a 17 and I thought about the Office World looming over me like the sword of damoclese, it filled my mouth with bile. After watching Fight Club, Office Space, reading too much Cyberpunk, etc etc I thought that being a fucking independant, self-actualized individual might be negated by some sort of white collar slavery.

But ya know, I've been sitting in this little gray cube for over a year now and it really ain't that bad. Today is April Fool's day and I'm hanging up prank signs from the MGT. My cube is filled with art by Magritte, Brandon Bird, Perry Bible Fellowship, and my own stuff.

And you know, over here in the belly of The Machine, people actually seem to appreciate free thinkers. I do think people recognize those who are more colorful than their environment, and it IS inspirational.

And that's the whole gimmick, right? How to sell out without trapping yourself? How to rearrange the local parts of the Machine until it's the Machine you want to live in?

I don't think the 17 year old version of me got it yet. I'm 26 now and Yes I'm a white collar slave, and really now - it ain't so bad. It beats being a starving artist with scabby knees, or an actor / waiter, or a screen writer / shoe salesman. Because when I'm not in the 9 to 5 I'm living a guitar solo. what I do professionally isn't the focus of my life. Last night I went out and put up a hundred fucking posters, and it recharged me like WOAH I'm fucking awake again.

[LMNO]

Ditto.  I was playing a show last night, and it was about midnight, and I was downing my 7th pint or so, and I mentioned I have to be up at 6:00 am.

"Why the hell do you go to work that early?" a guy asked.

"Because I get out at 4, and have essentially a whole day ahead of me."

[Bebek Sincap Ratatosk]

I never went to college. I have a good job in a big corporation and make lots of monies. I show up around 10, leave between 4 and 5, and spend lots of that time posting here, or playing around with other websites I take care of.

I could make more money and get into management, but that requires trading some of my freedoms.

We are as free as we wish to be.

[Vanadium Gryllz]

Thanks for the thoughts,

Like I didn't say, I realise that I have my whole life ahead of me, and that I can mold a lot of it to fit me. Its just that recently (and like Cram said, influenced by films/rants etc.) I have been looking into myself and I can see the parts that are all twisted up into 'I wonder what everyone else thinks about me?' and 'Will this make me look cool?' And I can see that I shouldn't really be thinking that, but I still do.

Like most of you guys said, I think, it's a matter of changing your perceptions so that The Machine begins to work for you.
But damn that's hard.

[Bebek Sincap Ratatosk]

Thanks for the thoughts,

Like I didn't say, I realise that I have my whole life ahead of me, and that I can mold a lot of it to fit me. Its just that recently (and like Cram said, influenced by films/rants etc.) I have been looking into myself and I can see the parts that are all twisted up into 'I wonder what everyone else thinks about me?' and 'Will this make me look cool?' And I can see that I shouldn't really be thinking that, but I still do.

Like most of you guys said, I think, it's a matter of changing your perceptions so that The Machine begins to work for you.
But damn that's hard.

It's not hard... its different

Your post seems (to me) to indicate that you're doing a pretty bang up job at asking questions of yourself. Just keep asking questions. Ask questions about your decisions, your choices, your ideas and your beliefs. Once you think you've answered the questions, ask new ones.

Hell, at 17 I thought Armageddon was ten years or less away and that God wanted me to preach from door to door until then. You've got a helluva jump on me 

[Cramulus]

Like most of you guys said, I think, it's a matter of changing your perceptions so that The Machine begins to work for you.

Maybe. Personally, I'm trying to change other people's perceptions so that the Machine which I live in works how I want it to work.

Eventually, people in my neighborhood will accept this crazy stuff I put up as part of the neighborhood, instead of some intrusion into it.

It starts with you though.

[Bebek Sincap Ratatosk]

Like most of you guys said, I think, it's a matter of changing your perceptions so that The Machine begins to work for you.

Maybe. Personally, I'm trying to change other people's perceptions so that the Machine which I live in works how I want it to work.

Eventually, people in my neighborhood will accept this crazy stuff I put up as part of the neighborhood, instead of some intrusion into it.

It starts with you though.

SAGE TROOF