In Fifteen Years... An Essay From The Past.

On a recent trip home to see my family, I discovered a box of my old school papers that my dad had tucked away for me in one of those plastic Rubbermaid storage boxes.
Of course my curious nature got the best of me and I decided to mill through it to see just how geeky a student I was. I spent most of my teenage years spread too thin. I was an overachiever in a major way. Between my dance and theatre training, Spanish club, drama club, student council, Boy Scouts and choir, I still found time to stress out about maintaining a 3.8 (or higher) GPA!
As I read through the essays, term papers and book reports, I was transported back in time. One part nostalgia, one part gratitude that I NEVER have to go back to high school!
Then, I came across an essay from my college prep English class circa 1996. The title "In Fifteen Years." I remember this class very well, as it was my first class of the school day and my teacher, Mr. Goff was brilliant. I read the essay and I was shocked-
I guess it shouldn't come as a surprise how well I knew myself. Even then.

Nevertheless, it's very validating to read a fortune cookie from the past, so to speak.
I thought I'd share the essay below. Although I'm re-typing it, I will make no changes to the words I wrote fourteen years ago.
The grammar may not be the best, but somethings will never change.

In Fifteen Years

As I approach the end of my senior year, I find myself thinking about where I will be in fifteen years. I have many goal that I would like to accomplish.

To begin, I see myself holding a successful career on Broadway. I would like to have a stable job, and name that is well known in the entertainment industry. I also see myself as a family man, I would like to have a strong bond with my wife, and children. Fifteen years from now, the most important thing in my life will not be money. However, I see myself as a wealthy man. I plan to live as well as teach dance, in New York City. My goal for the future, is to have a well rounded education. After high school, I plan on attending the American Musical and Dramatic Academy, in New York. There, I hope to receive an education that can take me far in my career. In years to come, I hope to gain success and a knowledge, that will help me become a leader of tomorrow. Most important to me however, is to be happy with my own life, in fifteen years, I feel that is the key to my goals in the years to come.

I find some small comfort in the fact that I'm living my life very much like I had envisioned it would be. Sure, there are some obvious differences- No wife or children, but I still have a year, and I still very much plan on the children. What I find most assuring is that on some small level, I have achieved my dreams. I've continued the journey toward the goals I set for myself so long ago, and despite the ups and downs that are par for the course of an actor, I'm incredibly happy.
Regardless of the lack of wealth I've yet to receive, I consider myself a success for the simple reason that I did not give up.
I will not give up on my dream. No matter how tough the journey gets, I know this immense passion pumping through my blood is there for a reason. I figure, if I was so sure of myself fifteen years ago... it's time to write a new essay with the same title: In Fifteen Years.