Whatif

When I was little, my parents would read my sister and I short stories at bedtime. Once in a while, my mom would read from a collection of Shel Silverstein's poems. I loved when she would do this because I got to hear so many different stories in such a short amount of time. One of my favorite Silverstein poems is Whatif. At the time, it seemed like a goofy story about a person who worries all the time. However, as I have grown up, I find that this poem is applicable to all stages of my life.

Silverstein opens the poem by providing the reader with imagery of worries climbing into his head: "Last night, while I lay thinking here,/some Whatifs crawled inside my ear/ and pranced and partied all night long/and sang their same old Whatif song." From there, he begins to rattle off a list of worries that get progressively obscure. "Whatif I'm dumb in school?/ Whatif they'd closed the swimming pool?/ Whatif I get beaten up?/ Whatif there is poison in my cup?" Finally after a long list of crazy worries, Silverstein recognizes that his thinking is irrational. Although this poem seems trivial at first, I think it is a good way to look at the upcoming transitions in our lives.

The pressure and anxiety that comes with senior year is a problem that breaks down many people. People let their minds be dominated by factors they can hardly control and its easy to get carried away. However, I think this poem is a gentle reminder that we should all stop worrying about the "Whatifs" and focus on the present and enjoy the time we have left with what is so familiar to us.