I’ve always had a lot of interests. I like sports, animals, music, writing, and reading, among many other things. Within each of these subjects, I’ve found things to attach my interest too, whether that’s a certain team, a particular artist, or a specific series. I find things I like, and I dive headfirst into them. When something interests me, it becomes a new obsession.
Over the years, I’ve gained a lot of these obsessions. They become my comfort objects, things I come back to whenever I can. They’re things that make me happy and energized, and they give me an outlet to explore. Of all of the passions I’ve followed, I don’t regret a single one.
I carve out hours on my Saturdays to watch English Premier League soccer games and root for Manchester United. I tell Alexa to play music by Tate McRae or Conan Gray whenever I’m doing my homework. I read my Harry Potter books and watch the movies whenever I see them on TV. I turn on The Summer I Turned Pretty or Heartstopper whenever I have a free moment.
While other people’s opinions can be intimidating, I believe having passions is something to be proud of. My devoted interests in different areas allow me to express myself, connect with other people, and feel as though I’m a part of something bigger than myself. My interests make my free time enjoyable and my life interesting. I wouldn’t trade them for the world.
Last summer, I went to a summer camp at Michigan State, and I didn’t know a lot of people in my course. There was one girl that I met, and after talking a little we somehow found out that we both enjoyed the same obscure band in our childhood. I had loved the band forever, even though they weren’t very popular, and randomly finding someone that felt the same way gave me an opportunity to connect with someone. For the rest of camp, I had a friend.
It’s reasons like this that I think being passionate is important. It doesn’t matter if the things you like are extremely popular or unbelievably obscure; as long as you find something to love, that’s all that matters. I believe that having passions is an important part of being who I am, and I think that this is important for everybody. Having an outlet to express myself and my emotions is an invaluable resource, and I can’t explain just how grateful I am for my varied interests. Being passionate is extremely important, something that I will never take for granted.
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