56 Up Reflection

While watching 56 Up, I found that I did not successfully predict many of the subjects’ life courses. For example, during 7 Up, Neil was a very optimistic and happy young boy. He had high aspirations of going to Oxford, and I found it very surprising when I saw that he dropped out of college after a semester and that he became homeless for a period of time. Also, I was shocked when I saw how much he struggled as an adult to stay happy because he was such a cheerful young boy. He ends up being a politician, writer, and an active member of his church, but based off of his segment in 7 Up, I would have never guessed he would have the hardships he did in his life. In my opinion, the most critical factors in influencing the lives of these children as they evolved into adults were their education/careers and family life. The ones that went to and finished college tended to be better off financially in their older years, and those who had strong support systems from family tended to be
As of right now I feel like I have not found myself all the way and I still feel a lot of stress day to day. As a middle adult, I will hopefully know myself a lot better than I do now, and my life will probably be a lot more stable than it is now (i.e. a career/full-time job, long term place of residence, etc.), which will lead to less daily stress. I am so excited to have a committed, 20+ year marriage, children I love more than anything, and possibly grandchildren that will bring so much light into my life. I will have friends that have been through everything with me, and I will have more free time to enjoy my hobbies and loved ones. Even though my physical health will start to decline and my body will not be as strong as it is now, I will have so many other positives going on that will out shadow that some. I will finally have some time to sit back and enjoy life some instead of constantly worrying about my future like I do