,,The mystery of life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be lived.” (Dune, Frank Herbert)
You can go to the store and buy the life you want. Reflect on the meaning of this idea and express your opinion in an essay. That is the challenge for students.
Such a world, in which you can go to the “store of life” and buy the life you want, could be a fascinating combination of advanced technology and the deepest human desires.
Cristina, a 25-year-old, enters the Store of Life for the first time. It was a place she had always heard about, but which she had viewed with skepticism. However, recent setbacks – the loss of her job and a painful breakup – had pushed her to look for quick solutions. ,,Maybe I can find something here that will make me happy,” she thought, crossing the threshold of the store.
The interior is vast, with endless shelves that seem to disappear into the horizon, each individually lit. Instead of traditional products, the shelves are divided into categories such as:
- Career and Success – shiny diplomas, virtual offices of top companies.
- Love and Relationships – boxes of “perfect partners”, each with a detailed description of their features.
- Health and Longevity – vials of vitality, packages that guarantee perfect immunity.
- Memorable Experiences – holographic tickets for ,,already lived” memories, such as exotic trips or emotional moments.
As soon as she steps into the store, a holographic assistant, depicting an elegant woman with a warm voice, greets her:
– Welcome, Cristina! What do you want today? Love, success, health, maybe all of them?
Cristina hesitates, feeling that her desires are confused. All she knows is that she wants a change.
First Stop: “Career and Success”
The shelves in this section were gleaming, filled with golden diplomas, immaculate files, and symbols of power—offices in skyscrapers, conference rooms full of applauding people. Cristina picked up a package labeled ,,CEO at 30.” When she touched the label, the sphere projected a fragment of the future in front of her: …she was in a huge office, with a panoramic view of a modern city. Her secretary was bringing her coffee, and the phone was ringing incessantly. Although she was flattered by the image, a feeling of emptiness gripped her. She saw her future full of work and loneliness.
The hologram said to her: The price: 10 years of personal time. Is that okay?
Cristina hesitated. And moved on.
Second Stop: ,,Love and Relationships”
This section was particularly fascinating. The shelves were filled with crystal spheres, each with an image of a person inside – ideal partners, each with a detailed description: ,,Romantic, attentive, loyal” or ,,Adventurous, spontaneous, passionate”.
Cristina looked at a sphere that caught her eye. The label read: ,,Your perfect partner: Alexandru”. The moment she touched the crystal, the hologram projected a possible future: she and Alexandru laughing together in a mountain cabin, sharing stories and moments of tenderness.
But the sphere also revealed the price: Price: giving up the ability to remember past relationships. You will completely forget your first love. Do you accept?
Cristina felt a pang in her heart. Her first love had been part of who she was, a lesson that, though painful, had shaped her as a person. She refused again.
Last stop: ,,Health and Longevity”
In this section, Cristina looked at a package that promised a life of 120 years, free from any disease. Her vision of the future showed her spending her old age traveling the world, but in oppressive loneliness. Her family and friends were absent, for they had not made the same choice.
The price: 20 years of her youth.
Although the idea of having a long life was tempting, Cristina refused once again.
An unexpected discovery
About to leave empty-handed, Cristina reached a hidden corner of the store, where she found a simple white box, without attractive labels. Curious, she touched it, and the sphere projected an image of her life as it was: imperfections, mistakes, but also moments of real joy.
The hologram explained to her:
– This is the ,,Authentic Life” package. We will not change you. Instead, we give you clarity to see the value of your life as it is.
The price? Acceptance of imperfection.
Cristina felt a deep sense of relief. For the first time, she understood that she did not need a purchased life. She just had to appreciate what she already had and learn to build further, with her own strength.
When she left the Life Store, Cristina did not have an extravagant package, but she had a precious lesson. Life does not have to be perfect to be beautiful. And true change began from within.
