In retrospect, Wile E. Coyote is probably not the best role model for any kid to have. The murder-crazed, super genius whose sole purpose in life is to catch a flightless bluebird has failed spectacularly in every single attempt since his creation in 1949 on “Looney Tunes.”  Yet, despite the fact that Wile E. Coyote has never, and may never catch the road runner, his innate ability to focus solely on his dream always appealed to me. No matter how many times the very anvil he hoisted himself was used against him and not the road runner, he always kept faith in his dream, spending hours day after day thinking of more and more ludicrous plans to achieve his calling, never wondering if it was all worth it.

I like to believe that Wile E. Coyote didn’t hunt because it was easy, or because the fruits of his immense amount of labor would be rewarded, but because he felt it was his destiny to beat the blue road runner and that he saw the beauty in the struggle. Most young adults don’t share the attitude towards adversity that our friend Mr. Coyote has, instead many teenagers would choose to sell out and take a job simply based on the amount of zeros on the salary, not if what they are doing is making them happy.

It is easy to look up possible salaries to decide on what you want to do for the rest of the life, but hard to see that you may be ending long-time dreams by simply going to school to try and get rich. The promise of nicer things due to a paycheck from a 9-5 job is tempting, especially when compared to the risk that is involved in pursuing a dream, but what some get from a nine to five job is regret, not riches. Many will go to colleges next year looking to land a job working in a cubicle, but few will set out on a less taken path. Those few who decide to pave new trails will be met with mud that will both slow them down and also cement their footsteps, leaving a lasting change.

While the struggle is not pretty, it is worth it, because there is a certain art in the struggle, one that shows up years later; long-term goals are always paid with by short pain. While Wile E. Coyote may have had hundreds of anvils dropped on his forehead and had his plans crumbled by falling safes, the single time the dust settles and his trap catches the road runner will pay off, because in that moment all the times he fell short will have been part of a greater story, a success story. If I had it my way, Wile E. Coyote would be eating a blue bird every single night, because he chased his dream. If his destiny was not chosen by the people that draw him, he would surely have found success.