The final thing

Photograph of Hannah Schultz

Alright everyone, this is it. The beginning of the end. My final blog post. Are you ready? I'm not even sure that I am. In fact, choosing something to write about has been difficult enough, partially because there aren't many things left in my room, and partially because I feel like as the last one, this post should be the most meaningful. But I think I've realized what I need to write about. And now that I have, it seems so obvious and clear. So have I been illusive enough? Are you just dying to know the final thing my room? Well...it's me! I'm the final thing! (Hence the awkward self-portrait above.)

In writing about myself, I'd like to focus on the idea I've tried to make this entire blog center around. And that idea is that everything is connected. I've been mainly writing about how small items can represent bigger societal issues. So how do I fit into this scenario? Or a better question, what impact can a single person (like me) have on the rest of the world? This question is very vague, I know that. But it's a question that a lot of people spend their lives trying to answer. And it's something that weighs on my mind whenever I think about my future.

Photograph by Hannah Schultz

In the last few years, I think I've figured out a few basic, important things. To begin, I think the first step in figuring out your connection to the rest of the world is figuring out what you care about. To do that, you need to know what's happening (politically, socially, etc.) Once you've established some basic awareness, you'll be able to decide what you feel about these issues. And as simple as that sounds, it's so easy to stay confined to our own personal bubbles and live like our worlds are the only ones that matter. But if you pay any attention to the news, you'll learn that there are wars, natural disasters, and endless amounts of human suffering. And really, what would our world be if none of us cared about each other?

Little Hannah

What I want for my future is to fully dedicate myself to a specific cause. The past few years I've bounced around from wanting to save dolphins to spreading awareness for organ donations. At this point, I really don't know what my ultimate purpose is, but I believe I'll find it. And whether I work as a journalist or a spokesperson, I know that my education is preparing me for my future. I've been lucky enough to have friends and professors who care deeply about the world, and have subsequently taught me things I never knew. Through these relationships, I've been able to re-evaluate and discover what I care about and what I have the power to do with my life.

I've come a long way from the little girl in the picture above. I look at that picture and I see how I've changed, and admittedly, I'm still in the process of figuring out what I believe religiously and politically. But I really think it's important to care about something bigger than yourself. While "Things in my Room" was about the connection between my things and the world, it's important to remember that as humans, we are all connected as well. And that, more than anything else I've written, is what I want you to remember.