Saturday, September 28, 2013
Change and Moving
It's been a while. A long While. I'm writing this post from Nairobi, Kenya, but that's not where i live. Currently, I'm living in Ghana. Needless to say, this was big change from Maryland. In fact, I'm devoting this post to some of the changes I've experienced in moving from Maryland to Ghana.
1. You can buy anything on the streets
Whether your craving some plantain chips, need a diagram of the human anatomy or your bathroom pipes have recently broken, the streets of Ghana are the place to go. Vendors sell everything from educational materials to exercise equipment.
Just a side note here, Ghana is highly conscious and active when it comes to promoting a healthy lifestyle. At least 3 days a week, i am awoken to the sounds of bells ringing and chanting as a group of runner, all dressed in white, runs down my street. To be honest, it's a tad bit creepy. Particularly when you're running next to you and they're chanting in unison in an incomprehensible language.
2. AP to IB - Different School Systems
When I first moved here i hated the IB system because I thought it was too easy compared to AP, however as time has passed and assignment have backed up, have come to appreciate the "beauty: , shall we say, of the IB. As opposed to AP's spoon feeding a lot of complex material in an easy to understand way that requires relatively little stress, the IB teaches relatively less concepts which are simpler to understand, however there seems to be a catch. The information is not given to you to memorize and use on a test. Sure, the teachers will explain in class, but really it's up to you to understand it because tests rely less on memorizing random facts and more on being able to work out problems you haven't encountered.
One thing i really like about the IB is that it focuses on speaking skills, which are useful for future careers and to just sound eloquent in general. Personally, I am an awful speaker. If the choice was between standing in between a mama bear and her cub or public speaking, i would choice the bear...always.Logically I decided to involve myself in as many speaking roles as I could at the school (i.e MUN, GISS). It was painful, but I have improved. I am now capable of uttering a whopping 5 sentences in an audible voice without stuttering!
3.Creative Entertainment-
I lived near several cities including DC, so naturally it was hard to run out of things to do. Despite this, my friend and I managed to spend a considerable amount of time wandering the aisles of Safeway during the wee hours of the night.These escapades were commonly accompanied by ice cream or a doughnut, but that's not what made them fun. Honestly, these escapades go to show that its not the place that matters, but rather the people. I still don't understand how my friend and I managed to find such entertainment in the labels and displays.
When i first arrived in Accra, i felt that there was nothing to do, but the truth is that there's very little of the same things I was used to doing. Rather than going to Safeway at 2 A.M i can go to the fruit market before 5 P.M. There's no parks in Accra, so what!? I can go into the embassy and play on the jungle gym. At least until I start getting weird looks from the parents. It would be inaccurate to judge the amount of fun that can be had in Accra by comparing it to my prior ideals of fun in Maryland.
( )( )
Nonetheless, the point is that moving and change can be difficult to adjust to. Especially if you do so by trying to conform your new surroundings to your old ones. Eventually, you learn to let go( you stop stalking old acquaintances to see what going on, you DON'T add their new friends on facebook) and you begin to move fowardss.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Vacations
Hey guys,
Sorry i have not written much lately. Guatemala was a very wonderful time but it was also a little sad and I'm glad to be back home in the states (although next year home=Ghana). About a week after Guatemala went to Hilton head (foot shaped island off the lower coast of South Carolina) to go spend time with my "aunt", (mom's friend) her husband,and her biological son and adopted daughter. It was a lot of fun but spending a lot of time with my 8 year old cousin did get on my nerves a little bit.It was fun though, we went to the beach, the pool and tanned.
The day after i got back was the farm tour (happens every summer). I admit i am a slacker at the farm.
I get bored picking up poo sometimes. I care for the animals though, so i plan on working a bit harder for them . Not much has been happening sorry. Making new friends, hanging out and going to crew.
Have a nice summer :)!
P.S- I have a friend participating in a state department program that has allowed her to travel to China to further her studies.Please check out her blog here!
Sorry i have not written much lately. Guatemala was a very wonderful time but it was also a little sad and I'm glad to be back home in the states (although next year home=Ghana). About a week after Guatemala went to Hilton head (foot shaped island off the lower coast of South Carolina) to go spend time with my "aunt", (mom's friend) her husband,and her biological son and adopted daughter. It was a lot of fun but spending a lot of time with my 8 year old cousin did get on my nerves a little bit.It was fun though, we went to the beach, the pool and tanned.
I get bored picking up poo sometimes. I care for the animals though, so i plan on working a bit harder for them . Not much has been happening sorry. Making new friends, hanging out and going to crew.
Have a nice summer :)!
P.S- I have a friend participating in a state department program that has allowed her to travel to China to further her studies.Please check out her blog here!
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Little houses on the hillside
My fingers are gaining muscle as i type this.Which brings me to the next point, I´m in Guatemala and using my friends evil keyboard.I have not been here in a while and the lack of visiting has cultivated within me an appreciation of th distinct culture here.
As you drive along the road, you will find a large carved rock wall to your left and to your right, a seris of mountains fading into shades of blue in the distance and an array of colorful little houses on the nearby hillside. Yes, this is, in fact illegal housing, but little is done about it. When i pointed it out to my guatemalan friend she looked at me as if had said that my pants were full of carnivorous fish. She then proceeded to say that they were not pretty, but that they were sad. And i have to agree that they are sad, there is a sad aura around the county with the beggars, street dogs, orphans and so on. But, it is also a country that is joyful with Fridley faces and vibrant colors. It is a bitter sweet country.
As you drive along the road, you will find a large carved rock wall to your left and to your right, a seris of mountains fading into shades of blue in the distance and an array of colorful little houses on the nearby hillside. Yes, this is, in fact illegal housing, but little is done about it. When i pointed it out to my guatemalan friend she looked at me as if had said that my pants were full of carnivorous fish. She then proceeded to say that they were not pretty, but that they were sad. And i have to agree that they are sad, there is a sad aura around the county with the beggars, street dogs, orphans and so on. But, it is also a country that is joyful with Fridley faces and vibrant colors. It is a bitter sweet country.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Crew
I don't know what i was thinking when i decided to join crew. It was a rash decision made after weeks of convincing myself that it would not be worth my time. The fact that i couldn't even control myself should of been a warning in its self along with my soon to be coach's introduction"Hi, I'm ******, usually I'm known as a hard-a**". It was a decision akin to turning or veering off a carefully marked trail, only to find something unexpected, wonderful but daunting.
In the beginning of the fall, I, deciding that strenuous painful workouts everyday did not sound like fun, decided to become a coxswain. As a coxswain i was to "motivate" the rowers by yelling at them and steering the straightest, shortest course possible. We moved awkwardly the rowers, trying to get a grip on technique as the boat wobbled from side to side and me, trying not to maneuver the shell in pirouettes.I really didn't and still don't yell as much as i should of during practice (i was awarded sulent but deadly at our awards) but back then I felt pretty good, it seemed as if i was doing well as a coxswain, but sometimes i would wonder why i was doing this, it seemed so weird and pointless and i loved it. Often, i would find myself distracted, staring at the surrounding scenery, the occasional dead creature floating by, the murky green-brown water, the inexplicable bubbles and the array of objects coursing through the water where they had been carelessly tossed.
When the time came for our first row as novice rowers, The Head of the Occuquan (probably misspelled), everyone was nervous and excited. It was then that i realized how motivated the rowers were. They may not have believed that we would win, but they were going to work to walk through at least one boat. It seemed to me they were motivated to win than i was.
We were 5 minutes late to the starting line, failed to walk through any boats, and were walked on by several boats. At the time i hadn't figure to how to use my cox box so i made up stroke ratings and had them "adjust" to new ones. I didn't speak much except when we almost crashed a couple times. The river was beautiful (and distracting to my ADHD prone brain), stone cliffs towered around us flanked by balding trees. It was the first of many times that i would realize that all the rivers i raced on were better than the ones i practiced on. In the end, we got second to last, but it still seemed to be an accomplishment (especially when we were told it wasn't a novice race, something we had realized when we saw the young and old men in the boats). We resigned ourselves to this small victory and packed up the boats for the winter.
The winter was the time where rowers honed their skills, gained strength and endurance, worked on technique and most notably, faced a new form of surprisingly legal torture, the erg (a machine for rowing on land). While the rowers where on the erg my job was to find ways to motivate them by yelling at them, something i honestly failed at. Yelling at people twice as large and strong as i was seemed like a horrible idea, plus what do you say, row harder you're almost done? My first and second coach left us during the winter, both stolen by the government. Then we were given Coach Sara who had coached the novice girls the year before and had been a coxswain in college. The workouts grew harder, but that was okay, partially because i didn't have to do them and partially because i was excited to see how much better we had become come spring season.
Spring proved to be the most stressful yet rewarding season yet. Under my previous coach i had fooled myself into believing i was a good coxswain. Failed attempts at yelling in the winter and steering in the spring, taught me otherwise.Obviously i had gotten too comfortable. Among many bad experiences, were crashing a boat over a tree (floating in the water), losing a skeg (something you need to steer), and failing to cox the girls boat. Often i felt like quitting and I'm glad that i didn't. My goal soon turned into not being yelled at at all by my coach. My motivation was, in the words of a great man "Winning". Our first race was a trial to see if we had become any better over the winter; the first place medal proved that we had. As a novice four we went through the season with one third place and the rest firsts. The rowers never seemed complacent when we were on the water the other boats to our sides. They were driven to win each and every time and i was glad that it seemed to happen to me too.
It felt good to come from crashing a boat into a tree to defeating the competition in a neck to neck race. Sadly in the last and largest regatta (race) of the year i was assigned to cox the JV-8. I had had bad luck with eights that season (losing a skeg, steering ect) and while i had gotten comfortable yelling at my boys during regattas, yelling at varsity as well didn't go so well. I hadn't studied the course as well as should have and muddled up my steering and yelling. The one high-point was that i learned that some of the varsity were very understanding. They certainly made up for my lack of motivational skills and probably would have qualified for semi-final if i had practiced more. We were only 8 boats away and 30 seconds or less away from the best time. While i was sad and dissapointed for a while, i eventually accepted it.From there one i could only try harder to improve and eventually become comfortable with all boats ( but i think we're focusing on fours next year ^^).
I sat against a tree watching the old and new varsity boys play a game where one tackled the person with the ball (unlike football the only object of the game is to tackle and harm people until the fall or drop the ball). I was glad to see the varsity go because i knew i would be more comfortable with the remaining boys, but i was also sad they were taking away with them hilarious aspects of crew. I could only hope that if they ever came back they would see me improved, moving the boat in straight line.
Joining crew has been the most stressful yet highly comedic and fulfilling decision i have made. And while i may only have one year of it left (I'm moving to Ghana junior year and hopefully not staying senior)I'm glad i did and I'm excited to see what happens next year.
In the beginning of the fall, I, deciding that strenuous painful workouts everyday did not sound like fun, decided to become a coxswain. As a coxswain i was to "motivate" the rowers by yelling at them and steering the straightest, shortest course possible. We moved awkwardly the rowers, trying to get a grip on technique as the boat wobbled from side to side and me, trying not to maneuver the shell in pirouettes.I really didn't and still don't yell as much as i should of during practice (i was awarded sulent but deadly at our awards) but back then I felt pretty good, it seemed as if i was doing well as a coxswain, but sometimes i would wonder why i was doing this, it seemed so weird and pointless and i loved it. Often, i would find myself distracted, staring at the surrounding scenery, the occasional dead creature floating by, the murky green-brown water, the inexplicable bubbles and the array of objects coursing through the water where they had been carelessly tossed.
When the time came for our first row as novice rowers, The Head of the Occuquan (probably misspelled), everyone was nervous and excited. It was then that i realized how motivated the rowers were. They may not have believed that we would win, but they were going to work to walk through at least one boat. It seemed to me they were motivated to win than i was.
We were 5 minutes late to the starting line, failed to walk through any boats, and were walked on by several boats. At the time i hadn't figure to how to use my cox box so i made up stroke ratings and had them "adjust" to new ones. I didn't speak much except when we almost crashed a couple times. The river was beautiful (and distracting to my ADHD prone brain), stone cliffs towered around us flanked by balding trees. It was the first of many times that i would realize that all the rivers i raced on were better than the ones i practiced on. In the end, we got second to last, but it still seemed to be an accomplishment (especially when we were told it wasn't a novice race, something we had realized when we saw the young and old men in the boats). We resigned ourselves to this small victory and packed up the boats for the winter.
The winter was the time where rowers honed their skills, gained strength and endurance, worked on technique and most notably, faced a new form of surprisingly legal torture, the erg (a machine for rowing on land). While the rowers where on the erg my job was to find ways to motivate them by yelling at them, something i honestly failed at. Yelling at people twice as large and strong as i was seemed like a horrible idea, plus what do you say, row harder you're almost done? My first and second coach left us during the winter, both stolen by the government. Then we were given Coach Sara who had coached the novice girls the year before and had been a coxswain in college. The workouts grew harder, but that was okay, partially because i didn't have to do them and partially because i was excited to see how much better we had become come spring season.
Spring proved to be the most stressful yet rewarding season yet. Under my previous coach i had fooled myself into believing i was a good coxswain. Failed attempts at yelling in the winter and steering in the spring, taught me otherwise.Obviously i had gotten too comfortable. Among many bad experiences, were crashing a boat over a tree (floating in the water), losing a skeg (something you need to steer), and failing to cox the girls boat. Often i felt like quitting and I'm glad that i didn't. My goal soon turned into not being yelled at at all by my coach. My motivation was, in the words of a great man "Winning". Our first race was a trial to see if we had become any better over the winter; the first place medal proved that we had. As a novice four we went through the season with one third place and the rest firsts. The rowers never seemed complacent when we were on the water the other boats to our sides. They were driven to win each and every time and i was glad that it seemed to happen to me too.
It felt good to come from crashing a boat into a tree to defeating the competition in a neck to neck race. Sadly in the last and largest regatta (race) of the year i was assigned to cox the JV-8. I had had bad luck with eights that season (losing a skeg, steering ect) and while i had gotten comfortable yelling at my boys during regattas, yelling at varsity as well didn't go so well. I hadn't studied the course as well as should have and muddled up my steering and yelling. The one high-point was that i learned that some of the varsity were very understanding. They certainly made up for my lack of motivational skills and probably would have qualified for semi-final if i had practiced more. We were only 8 boats away and 30 seconds or less away from the best time. While i was sad and dissapointed for a while, i eventually accepted it.From there one i could only try harder to improve and eventually become comfortable with all boats ( but i think we're focusing on fours next year ^^).
I sat against a tree watching the old and new varsity boys play a game where one tackled the person with the ball (unlike football the only object of the game is to tackle and harm people until the fall or drop the ball). I was glad to see the varsity go because i knew i would be more comfortable with the remaining boys, but i was also sad they were taking away with them hilarious aspects of crew. I could only hope that if they ever came back they would see me improved, moving the boat in straight line.
Joining crew has been the most stressful yet highly comedic and fulfilling decision i have made. And while i may only have one year of it left (I'm moving to Ghana junior year and hopefully not staying senior)I'm glad i did and I'm excited to see what happens next year.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Bob Brown
One day my friend was hanging around when the phone started ringing. She answered to be answered by a deep gruff voice.
Gruff Voice- Hello is Carl*(her younger brother) there
Friend- May i ask who is calling?
Gruff Voice- Is Carl* there?
Friend- May I ask who is calling?
Gruff voice- Is Carl* there?
Friend- I'm not telling you until you tell me who you are
Gruff Voice- Uhh. Bob Brown
Friend- Oh ok Bob Brown, He's here one sec
Friend- Carl* do you know a Bob Brown
Carl*-Nope, Hello?
Gruff Voice-...
Carl- He hung up.
My friend and her younger brother spent the next 10 minutes closing all the blinds and making sure all the door were locked.
She's also taken to telling me Bob Brown is in the closet or under the bed when i sleep over, but its okay because when i leave i know he stays there so then its her problem.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Backpacking
Ever since school started many months ago I have been longing to "get away from it all". This spring break I had the opportunity to do just that, and just in time as well. In the days leading up to my departure to Shenandoah on Friday I went to crew.
All the practices were fun and coxing varsity was a nice , if a little awkward experience. And the last day was amazing. We went to the fish market and had a great time. On the way back my coach told me to get closer to the middle of the river, so I did. Sadly, it was not far enough. What I thought was a log turned out to be a tree. Although I steered away, our bow ended up going over the tree. As you can imagine this did not please the people in the boat or the coaches. I found that the day was too good for this to bring me down too much. Even so, I felt bad for damaging the boat and stressing the coaches. On the bright side my coaches told me that I could only go up from here and I really hope its true, as I plan on working even harder to improve my coxing skills.
I was glad to leave on Friday. Going to Shenandoah provided me with a much needed break from all the stress. Backpacking, for me, is exhausting and tiring for a large part of the trip and invigorating and beautiful for the other. I spent two days backpacking on Jeremy's Run, falling into rivers, spotting many a lot of wildlife (including a black bear and a large rat snake),and overall enjoying myself.
Now, a month later and that crew has ,sadly, ended, i realize backpacking is a lot like life, specifically crew. It can suck and sometimes you just want to stop and give up but the great thing about backpacking is that you can;t give up because then you'll never get out and that is great motivation. With life and crew its a bit harder because it doesn't seem as simple as backpacking where you walk until you're done. In life you dont know whats going to happen in the end and for me there is no end nearby. But like backpacking, there are moments amidst it all that make it all worth it, winning a race or seeing a black bear. The moments where you forget about everything else and simply enjoy, the best ones ever. It just goes to show that when you dont give up and keep on working on something, eventually you will succeed( and finally get to take your pack and damp hiking boots off)
All the practices were fun and coxing varsity was a nice , if a little awkward experience. And the last day was amazing. We went to the fish market and had a great time. On the way back my coach told me to get closer to the middle of the river, so I did. Sadly, it was not far enough. What I thought was a log turned out to be a tree. Although I steered away, our bow ended up going over the tree. As you can imagine this did not please the people in the boat or the coaches. I found that the day was too good for this to bring me down too much. Even so, I felt bad for damaging the boat and stressing the coaches. On the bright side my coaches told me that I could only go up from here and I really hope its true, as I plan on working even harder to improve my coxing skills.
I was glad to leave on Friday. Going to Shenandoah provided me with a much needed break from all the stress. Backpacking, for me, is exhausting and tiring for a large part of the trip and invigorating and beautiful for the other. I spent two days backpacking on Jeremy's Run, falling into rivers, spotting many a lot of wildlife (including a black bear and a large rat snake),and overall enjoying myself.
Now, a month later and that crew has ,sadly, ended, i realize backpacking is a lot like life, specifically crew. It can suck and sometimes you just want to stop and give up but the great thing about backpacking is that you can;t give up because then you'll never get out and that is great motivation. With life and crew its a bit harder because it doesn't seem as simple as backpacking where you walk until you're done. In life you dont know whats going to happen in the end and for me there is no end nearby. But like backpacking, there are moments amidst it all that make it all worth it, winning a race or seeing a black bear. The moments where you forget about everything else and simply enjoy, the best ones ever. It just goes to show that when you dont give up and keep on working on something, eventually you will succeed( and finally get to take your pack and damp hiking boots off)
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Winning & The message of Pippin
( On a different note from the rest of this post)Recently i have been very occupied with crew(i cox novice boys) and we have so far attended 3 regattas (crew races) and won at least one race in each of them. Basically, except for the novice 8 (which had 3 varsity in it) the novice team has gone undefeated so far this season. I, never having played in active role on a winning team, am very proud of these new found bragging rights (sadly using them would be "inappropriate"). Winning can become very addictive.
__________________________________________
Pippin, a comedic yet meaningful musical, is all about Pippin's , the heir to his father's throne, search for fulfillment in life. From going to war to dabbling in arts, Pippin plays many roles unable to find fulfillment in any of them until he lets go of the idea of having to be extraordinary and accepts that to truly be free he must be tied down. While Pippins story ends,Theo, the son of the woman Pippin Marries, begins his story by singing the same song Pippin sings about finding his "corner of the sky".
Many say it represents,essentially, growing up. Starting with the young mind's idea of finding that one perfect thing to do in life, racing towards the destination before realizing it may be journey that is the most enjoyable, struggling with what to do, and eventually realizing he can find fulfillment and his "corner of the sky" by leading an ordinary life and marrying someone he loves.
Throughout the musical there are "players" who seem to have his life planned like a play of sorts. He contradicts what is supposed to happen as the show goes on. In the players plan Pippin is supposed to take part in the "Finale", which involves stepping into a large flame. The "Finale" most likely represents the self-destruction that would result from the "Players" determination for him to do something grand with his life even if that meant ending it. They have been referred to as the part of everybody that always longs from something grandiose , but impossible to achieve(making one feel unfulfilled). However, if this is so, it is a part of oneself that may choose not to see reality clearly, believing it may actually achieve magic, because the "Players" all seem to expect that Pippin will be unable to devote himself to something so as to feel fulfilled and that he will inevitably choose the "Finale", perhaps not even realizing the consequences said "Finale" could bring. The "Players" also make it very clear that the life Pippin leads until the ending is a search for a fantasy life because the "Players" are all people committing to pretend-lives.
Maybe, part of what the musical is trying to convey is that there is a fine line between seeing within the bounds of reality and accepting them and seeing an unrealistic world and committing to it. Not to say that it is bad to dream and that one should refrain themselves from longing for something better (as that is part of our nature), but that it is unideal to devote oneself to pursuit of something unreal, bypassing many things reality could offer while searching for it. In the end, Pippin chooses reality, when the Leading Player leaves, taking the ensemble, lights, costumes, and instruments with him because of Pippin's refusal to partake in the "Finale", signaling his acceptance "that not every day can be a perfect day" . The message becomes more universal when Theo begins to long for an extraordinary life as well, symbolizing the common trials of reality vs. fantasy that we all must face in order to grow up and if played well find fulfillment and perhaps success.
The message does seem to say to accept reality ,but to me it also says to enjoy the ride and dont force yourself to grow up too fast either. Stephen Schwartz did say "I don't really like to tell people the "moral" of any of my shows; I think
each member of the audience should take from a show what he or she will. That being said, I think it's clear that Pippin talks about having to find a balance in one's life between idealism and ambition and finding a life one can commit to, even if it doesn't satisfy every longing or goal. One doesn't want to just settle for something and give up one's dreams and aspirations, but on the other hand, one doesn't want to chase something that is always endlessly just out of reach and wind up nowhere and with nothing. It's a choice each of us (in a relatively free, class‐less society anyway) has to deal with (or run away from) and find a way to reconcile."
While, eventually I will have to make the choice, why make it now?Pippin didn't just find happiness and settle It took him time and many paths to get to that part. I wouldn't say he found his fulfillment because that would imply that there was nothing left but there is still places to go from where he is.He has just reached a marking stone in the path signaling the end of youth and the start of adulthood.By giving himself away he became himself and that's great, but if he had done this instantaneously the play would of sucked and he would of missed out on a great part of life.Plus, how could he have truly made that choice by his own judgment and not because of the influence of others without knowing why he was making it. He had to make the choice willingly to end up as content as he did. Maybe, some of you guys are at that point and maybe others of you are just beginning to wish for all the magic, Me, I don't know and to be perfectly honest, I wouldn't have it any other way.
__________________________________________
Pippin, a comedic yet meaningful musical, is all about Pippin's , the heir to his father's throne, search for fulfillment in life. From going to war to dabbling in arts, Pippin plays many roles unable to find fulfillment in any of them until he lets go of the idea of having to be extraordinary and accepts that to truly be free he must be tied down. While Pippins story ends,Theo, the son of the woman Pippin Marries, begins his story by singing the same song Pippin sings about finding his "corner of the sky".
Many say it represents,essentially, growing up. Starting with the young mind's idea of finding that one perfect thing to do in life, racing towards the destination before realizing it may be journey that is the most enjoyable, struggling with what to do, and eventually realizing he can find fulfillment and his "corner of the sky" by leading an ordinary life and marrying someone he loves.
Throughout the musical there are "players" who seem to have his life planned like a play of sorts. He contradicts what is supposed to happen as the show goes on. In the players plan Pippin is supposed to take part in the "Finale", which involves stepping into a large flame. The "Finale" most likely represents the self-destruction that would result from the "Players" determination for him to do something grand with his life even if that meant ending it. They have been referred to as the part of everybody that always longs from something grandiose , but impossible to achieve(making one feel unfulfilled). However, if this is so, it is a part of oneself that may choose not to see reality clearly, believing it may actually achieve magic, because the "Players" all seem to expect that Pippin will be unable to devote himself to something so as to feel fulfilled and that he will inevitably choose the "Finale", perhaps not even realizing the consequences said "Finale" could bring. The "Players" also make it very clear that the life Pippin leads until the ending is a search for a fantasy life because the "Players" are all people committing to pretend-lives.
Maybe, part of what the musical is trying to convey is that there is a fine line between seeing within the bounds of reality and accepting them and seeing an unrealistic world and committing to it. Not to say that it is bad to dream and that one should refrain themselves from longing for something better (as that is part of our nature), but that it is unideal to devote oneself to pursuit of something unreal, bypassing many things reality could offer while searching for it. In the end, Pippin chooses reality, when the Leading Player leaves, taking the ensemble, lights, costumes, and instruments with him because of Pippin's refusal to partake in the "Finale", signaling his acceptance "that not every day can be a perfect day" . The message becomes more universal when Theo begins to long for an extraordinary life as well, symbolizing the common trials of reality vs. fantasy that we all must face in order to grow up and if played well find fulfillment and perhaps success.
The message does seem to say to accept reality ,but to me it also says to enjoy the ride and dont force yourself to grow up too fast either. Stephen Schwartz did say "I don't really like to tell people the "moral" of any of my shows; I think
each member of the audience should take from a show what he or she will. That being said, I think it's clear that Pippin talks about having to find a balance in one's life between idealism and ambition and finding a life one can commit to, even if it doesn't satisfy every longing or goal. One doesn't want to just settle for something and give up one's dreams and aspirations, but on the other hand, one doesn't want to chase something that is always endlessly just out of reach and wind up nowhere and with nothing. It's a choice each of us (in a relatively free, class‐less society anyway) has to deal with (or run away from) and find a way to reconcile."
While, eventually I will have to make the choice, why make it now?Pippin didn't just find happiness and settle It took him time and many paths to get to that part. I wouldn't say he found his fulfillment because that would imply that there was nothing left but there is still places to go from where he is.He has just reached a marking stone in the path signaling the end of youth and the start of adulthood.By giving himself away he became himself and that's great, but if he had done this instantaneously the play would of sucked and he would of missed out on a great part of life.Plus, how could he have truly made that choice by his own judgment and not because of the influence of others without knowing why he was making it. He had to make the choice willingly to end up as content as he did. Maybe, some of you guys are at that point and maybe others of you are just beginning to wish for all the magic, Me, I don't know and to be perfectly honest, I wouldn't have it any other way.
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