Are You A Sloth?

I saw all the seniors this morning as I usually do, but this time I saw something different in them. I saw that they were all once children with mothers and fathers. They looked much younger in that light. I pictured a hunched 80 some year man frolicking about pestering his mother. A 90 odd year lady with a huge crush on her desk mate. A 60 something sitting doodling and never thinking about working himself to old age in order to buy satisfaction.

Yesterday in my Chinese reading class we read an article about how seniors are often younger at heart than the youth in China. It talked about that 70% of Chinese youth having issues with "sloth like states."

It is often popular to brag about one's laziness. Lets have a look:

A. Hey Mary, I just slept (insert a doubt digit) hours straight after watching reruns of (insert mind numbing program). I was such a big old lazy bag. I swear I'm turning into a sloth.
B. No way, I'm way more lazy than you are. I have this big (insert thing to do) tomorrow and I haven't even started.

Now for a translation:

A. Hey Mary, I slept my entire day away and I'm so bloody depressed. I hate myself. I wasted an entire night watching TV to avoid reality. I have a negative self-image.
B. No way, I'm much more depressed than you are. I completely and knowingly neglected what I should have done and I hate myself for it.

Sound like somebody you know?

The fog of youth? A lack of awareness? An evasion of reality?

I know my lazy habits started early on in my teens. I would sleep endless hours and do whatever took the least amount of energy. When I was called to walk the dog I would burst into a fit of rage. When it came time for school I'd lay comatose in bed wishing for just five more minutes. I never thought twice about it. This continued for about 10 years. Doing the minimal amount that I had to do. Moments of passion and perseverance would occasionally come over me and I'd get a few things done. In those fleeting moments the accomplishments would be HUGE. It was those moments that have put me where I am today.

I recently learned that there was another option...

(More to follow in the next post).

Ou.yang.