Lifestyles turn out to have both positive and negative impacts on an individual.
I have always been a mummy pet. The last born of my parents, tiny and fragile. Mum was always there for me and still is.
Growing up I had a lot of dreams, god I wish to make Mama proud. I cannot say I am not trying but I want to do more.
I was exposed to a lot of things growing up, sex, alcohol, drugs, and money. Mum made sure we didn’t lack anything since Dad left.
She worked very hard with help of Grandma and the family business supported everyone. Before I graduated Junior High School, I was into alcohol. Yes, I got drunk a lot of times. I was young and stupid. I didn’t know what I was doing but I enjoyed it.
I started having sex. Before I could finish Senior High School, I had impregnated someone. I cried, I felt depressed. Mum knew I was troubled but every mother knows her child. I confined in her. The girl didn’t want to keep the pregnancy we were both young. Yes, it was cleared. Did I stop? No! I was in the world, I had lost control of myself and was living in a different world.
Mama never gave up on me. I am smart and intelligent but I always felt empty and lonely then I go back to alcohol and sex. After Tertiary education, I wanted to man up but the demons kept following me. I knew I had to focus on myself. I have worked and travelled, and met people with bad habits than mine. I have a good job. I have stopped a lot of things. Not easy though, but the question is, are my demons still hunting me?
Yes, I have been depressed a lot of times. I wish I wasn’t exposed to a lot of things at an early stage. I wish I made the right choices and controlled my desire. Funny thing is, this is what the generation of today calls fun. Well! Sometimes, you need to experience it to know. Advice alone doesn’t help. To my younger self, I’m sorry for what I put you through. To my older self, I know it is hard but we will pull through.
Lifestyles turned out to have both positive and negative impacts on an individual, they are being influenced by the society we live and the society can be clubs, communities and even the workplace.
Our lifestyles are being influenced by values, norms, traditions, and beliefs, which in turn, affect our way of thinking either positively or negatively. Our interpersonal relationships and interactions between people and lifestyles have brought people together since they have common interests, values and norms, therefore leading to peaceful coexistence.
It could also lead to chaos and anarchy when people turned to understand themselves but imposed their interests on people.
The media culture has turned to have a positive likewise a negative impact through mass media and now with the growth of technology and information growing in leaps and bounds.
Lifestyles are being influenced and even regardless of the societies we live in, individuals turn to adopt ones which are not meant for the society and may have positive or negative impacts on the growth and development of the society not forgetting the individual’s general wellbeing.
Lifestyle has a different perspective which is different at every stage of life, in society one finds his or herself, and even with events occurring day by day.
Jemima Djanie
