Four-score and seven years ago, or maybe a few years before that, we the people, were composed of an organized nation, one where capitalism and self-benefit was on everyone’s mind. At present, this mindset only remains in a precious few, while most are so unwilling to deal with life’s hardships, whey allow distractions that take them away from their problems. Modern society has seen to it that people always have new things to spend their time on. What’s the new scandal? What’s the biggest thing in sports and gaming? Who’s dating who? When’s the new version of the I-Phone coming out? Life takes a similar approach, constantly distracting each individual with whatever their vice is. Food, friends, weird things on the internet, you know. Personal distractions; they disturb us, fluctuate us, deviate us from the big picture, varying specifically for each person, and each person accepts them, why? Because they want to. Having personal distractions is an insatiable flaw embedded in every human being. This fault is as self-evident as the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Much like the actions of the British King over the 13 Colonies, personal distractions restrict our actions, our decisions, and our resolve. Though personal distraction is a general statement, isn’t that still a reason to be rid of them? These distractions come at us through life in quantity, not quality. Always small, always in numbers, always one to replace another, attempting to remove these distractions one by one is an attempt as endless as the penrose stairs. Similar to those stairs, by taking things step by step, what does one really accomplish? Much like New Years resolutions, it is in human nature to attempt, but not always in our nature to follow through completely. So why bother to make a declaration, if things all just eventually add on? Better to attempt to remove them all and still be rid of a few, than attempt on one and barely scratch the surface. Part of my point in the declaration is not to be distracted by the fact that it is hard, but in the fact that there is still progress.

Personal experiences with distractions always vary, as each are different to every individual, but are almost always the same. Distractions come in all forms, all of them devious. More than once, they attack us in the middle of our most important moments.
In the midst of class, or in moments that require you full attention, is there not always something that would disrupt your focus? Perhaps a song, or the question of life’s purpose, or something like that, you know it’s true.
When we are doing homework, time and time again, are we not tempted by that 4 hour nap that forces us to act in procrastination?
When you were required to delve deep into your studies, how many times has the internet called to you? Some of you are distracted right now. How many of you are tempted to answer those texts you just received in the last minute or so?
In personal experiences, I’ve spent too much time caught up in Korean entertainment to get focused on anything. All those times spent watching variety shows and listening to songs where I don’t understand a single word. There would be a lot more to vent about if I declared myself independent from kpop, but there is more on my own personal list, and everyone else has just as many on their own.
Even while writing this declaration, which should have required my undivided attention, I had probably spent most of my time online and telling myself “I’ll finish after I check Facebook, or etc.” My mind was off writing this, and I was caught up with anything but this declaration.
So declaring independence on all of them, why? Because they’ve always succeeded in pointing me in the wrong direction. Because I always chose to give in to whichever distraction came into my view. Does it matter which one it was that was holding me down? No, there is lack of accomplishment and any other distraction would’ve given the same results.
If a distraction was worth your attention, it wouldn’t be considered restraining you. What higher authority or fault you want to remove yourself from depends on your resolve. But I see good potential in trying to remove myself from everything. If a nation can declare itself free from the faults of the world, a society free from the faults of a nation, and a person free from the faults of society, can’t a person declare himself free from his own faults?