The Trance of The Piano Man
“Sing us a song you 're the piano man, sing us a song tonight.”
Here I am laying on my cot, listening to my one of my favourite songs. Whatever grievances I was still holding onto now seems like an insignificant speck; whether it be homework, exams or even my social life. The absolutely captivating words of Billy Joel are hypnotic, and before I know it I slowly drift asleep falling under the Piano Man’s trance.
I opened my eyes, disoriented and dazed; with no idea where I am or the people I am with. Each of my sense tells me their own interpretation of the story. With each breath, I smell the scent of smoke from a furnace keeping everyone warm from the harsh winter. I also pick up on a very distinct scent of stale …show more content…
“I don’t belong here, I have lost neither my passion or identity!” I reply defensively.
“I am still the guy born and raised from Vancouver, who will live up to society’s standards by studying hard to become a lawyer.” I continue.
“But does becoming a lawyer make you happy and motivate you to achieve your passion? Or are you just becoming a slave to society’s standards?” He answers.
His response takes me aback, I’ve never seen my life through such a lens. I am feeling such a rush of emotion, it feels as though someone put fear, shame, and anger into a blender and is now trying to force feed it down my throat. I remember having studying to become a lawyer for as long as I was in school, but it never made me happy. Studying for every Legal Studies class only ever caused me frustration. I would always envy my peers for being able to enjoy their classes. The only class that ever brought joy to me was Geography; in that class, I was able to dream of becoming a pilot to fly all across the globe in a giant 747 jet; then reality hit me of how ludicrous it would be to pursue a career in aviation.
“No, I am not happy; but I’m going to university next year, and it’s too late for me to alter my path,” I …show more content…
Not knowing what to do I take a sip of my lager thinking “What next?”. I was at a crossroad, I could either continue trudging down the path society had paved for me, or I could scrap all my years of hard work to create my legacy in the aviation industry. How would everyone judge me if I decided to leave society’s mold? Will my family and friends exile me as a stranger? There are so many unknowns for this leap of faith I’m about to take; however, for my happiness, I decide I will follow my gut and become a pilot.
“You’re right,” I say. “From now on I will not let anyone dictate what I should or should not pursue.”
With a smile, Billy says: “Great! Now all you need is a plan to execute your dream.”
I had already fantasized a plan of becoming a pilot long ago, but never had the courage to ignite it; today was the day that changed. My goals had never been so clear, I will finish high school, then complete a 4-year degree in university to lead into my enrollment in the Royal Military Air Force Program. From there I will be able to serve my country and pursue my passion in flying.
“I found myself!” I scream to everyone in the bar. Without context, everyone just started celebrating and cheering like this was a common occurrence. Everyone came up smiling to congratulate me like we are old friends. We dance and celebrate for several hours until I run into Billy
“Sing us a song you 're the piano man, sing us a song tonight.”
Here I am laying on my cot, listening to my one of my favourite songs. Whatever grievances I was still holding onto now seems like an insignificant speck; whether it be homework, exams or even my social life. The absolutely captivating words of Billy Joel are hypnotic, and before I know it I slowly drift asleep falling under the Piano Man’s trance.
I opened my eyes, disoriented and dazed; with no idea where I am or the people I am with. Each of my sense tells me their own interpretation of the story. With each breath, I smell the scent of smoke from a furnace keeping everyone warm from the harsh winter. I also pick up on a very distinct scent of stale …show more content…
“I don’t belong here, I have lost neither my passion or identity!” I reply defensively.
“I am still the guy born and raised from Vancouver, who will live up to society’s standards by studying hard to become a lawyer.” I continue.
“But does becoming a lawyer make you happy and motivate you to achieve your passion? Or are you just becoming a slave to society’s standards?” He answers.
His response takes me aback, I’ve never seen my life through such a lens. I am feeling such a rush of emotion, it feels as though someone put fear, shame, and anger into a blender and is now trying to force feed it down my throat. I remember having studying to become a lawyer for as long as I was in school, but it never made me happy. Studying for every Legal Studies class only ever caused me frustration. I would always envy my peers for being able to enjoy their classes. The only class that ever brought joy to me was Geography; in that class, I was able to dream of becoming a pilot to fly all across the globe in a giant 747 jet; then reality hit me of how ludicrous it would be to pursue a career in aviation.
“No, I am not happy; but I’m going to university next year, and it’s too late for me to alter my path,” I …show more content…
Not knowing what to do I take a sip of my lager thinking “What next?”. I was at a crossroad, I could either continue trudging down the path society had paved for me, or I could scrap all my years of hard work to create my legacy in the aviation industry. How would everyone judge me if I decided to leave society’s mold? Will my family and friends exile me as a stranger? There are so many unknowns for this leap of faith I’m about to take; however, for my happiness, I decide I will follow my gut and become a pilot.
“You’re right,” I say. “From now on I will not let anyone dictate what I should or should not pursue.”
With a smile, Billy says: “Great! Now all you need is a plan to execute your dream.”
I had already fantasized a plan of becoming a pilot long ago, but never had the courage to ignite it; today was the day that changed. My goals had never been so clear, I will finish high school, then complete a 4-year degree in university to lead into my enrollment in the Royal Military Air Force Program. From there I will be able to serve my country and pursue my passion in flying.
“I found myself!” I scream to everyone in the bar. Without context, everyone just started celebrating and cheering like this was a common occurrence. Everyone came up smiling to congratulate me like we are old friends. We dance and celebrate for several hours until I run into Billy