WHEN I WAS AT secondary school, my father would leave Sunset Crest and head to Small Town, St John, to drive me to Harrison College.
Ninety per cent of the drives to school would feature one main topic. This topic, which he constantly laboured on amidst my eye-rolling, was the need for me never to chase popularity and life in the fast lane.
From a young age I was well known among my peers and being in the performing arts possibly enhanced my profile. Despite this, my father’s speeches remained etched in my mind. In short, life in the fast lane always ends in a crash.
I have realised that many young people do not have the blessing of having a peer or guardian who can steer them through the trials of youth and peer pressure. Peer pressue is not something that is reserved for teenagers. I see many 30-something and 40-something individuals still seeking relevance in the wrong ways from their peers.
Serious illusion
This article focuses on the reasons we shouldn’t chase popularity.
Be a girl boss, be a game changer, be the best version of yourself. However, never chase popularity.
Many popular people do not realise that being popular is fleeting. As Piers Morgan likes to say: “One day you are the cock of the walk, the next day you are the feather duster.” There is power in process and the fast lane is a serious illusion.
People who start off “hot and sweaty”, living alone in apartments at 18 years old and having their own cars, have ten years later regretted the paths they took. The flashy cars have now totally depreciated. The rent was not a mortgage, so there is no property to show for all the fast-lane payments. Meanwhile, those who bowed their heads in the process are now reaping the sweets of their hard labour.
Young women who focused on looks, above anything else, are now made to understand that those looks cannot be taken to the supermarket and the men they attracted have moved on to “prettier” and in some cases younger. Women, have something upstairs. Workout, pop in your implants and botox if you wish, but never underestimate the power and honour in being smart.
Fast lane dangers
I hear many people in my age group refer to some people and say “he is worth knowing”. They have no clue about the person’s character or what his guiding philosophies may be. However, they equate these persons’ worth to their social media profiles, how popular they are and what they can take from said persons. In truth, most people in the fast lane are not worth knowing. Integrity and honesty are as far away from their lives as Mount Everest is from Bridgetown. The faster the lane, the less genuine the people. It is a dog eat dog world where stabs in the back go as regularly as a route three ZR van.
This article is not an attempt to denounce being popular. Rather, it denounces chasing popularity. There is a difference. There are many of you who are charming, personable and will command likeability from many without seeking it out. More power to those of you.
However, sad to say, there are still many of us who chase popularity and life in the fast lane. The stories are numerous and disheartening. For those who didn’t have a human tape recorder repeating itself every morning on the dangers of the fast lane, this article is for you. Be blessed.
Toni Thorne is a young entrepreneur and World Economic Forum Global Shaper who loves global youth culture, a great debate and living in paradise. Email: [email protected]
