No Control

Unknowing

   With almost every action we take, we have to decide whether or not our actions should be known to others. As well as prepare for the unexpected. In most scenarios, showing our ideas and plans to others is practically suicide. Leaving yourself exposed is an action we should do our absolute best to avoid. In a ruthless competitive society, it's best to remain undetected for as long as possible until we set our plans into motion. This reference is often used in battle to gain the upper hand. If he lacked everything else, there's one thing Jay could do better than everyone else in his school. Due to his passive nature and almost absolute quietness, Jay had mastered the art of being unknowing and unnoticed. Even with his rising popularity, no one could get an accurate read on Jay. No one knew his true intentions or plans unless he told them himself. Someone who isn't easy to read and constantly changing tactics can prove to be a difficult, sometimes dangerous opponent.
   Going into his sophomore year, Jay started to take advantage of his unnoticed skill and learned to combine it with his business and personal matters. Once he tested this skill, he started to love how he always kept everyone on their toes. Jay moved quietly, and swiftly, his movements were extremely difficult to track. Whenever there was trouble, Jay was nowhere to be found. Seeing how powerful this skill was, he used it in every way it could help benefit him. Sophomore year was the beginning of the end for Jay's snack business. The staff started to restrict students from bringing a large sum of snacks. In other words, they were trying to shut Jay and everyone else who attempted to sell down. To Jay, it was a bit aggravating, but he didn't think much of it. Eventually, two teachers were selling, and Jay paid them no mind. He thought that as long as no one interfered with his business, he could care less about what others did. After the warning was sent to all the students, Jay thought it was just a jest to throw him off. One day, when Jay arrived at school and was going through security, they took his duffel bag and left him with only his school bag. This aggravating setback really had upset Jay. Demand was high, and he had to come up with a solution to keep the business going and fast.
   With his anger and mental state steadily rising, Jay was losing himself further into an unstable mind. Even though his adult mindset kept him focused, it could only do so much. Now was the time for Jay's new sneaky skill to come into play. Jay had come up with the idea to divide his supplies between only people he trusted. He would get grocery bags and divide the snacks into each, and carry some of the supplies himself. Once they make it to school, they'd walk through security but not all at once to avoid raising suspicion. This plan worked flawlessly, and Jay's trusted allies didn't even ask for a pay or snacks, which pleased Jay even more. After the first semester, this plan was discovered, and Jay had to switch tactics again. Only this time, he had to reduce his load, so he wasn't making what he initially would in one day. What had angered Jay even more was that they were so focused on putting Jay out of business that the two teachers were allowed to sell without trouble. Usually, Jay would be extremely angry, but this time, his anger and rising mental state subsided. This occurred because Jay had found his first love. Jay found himself head over heels, and to Jay, she seemed like the perfect one, the only girl he would need. With his newfound girlfriend, every problem Jay had faced in life was immediately subsided because he had her. If he were feeling down, he'd forget about it and perk up whenever he was around her.
   Jay had wondered how an unnoticed and reserved boy like him was so lucky to find someone like her. She never asked him for anything like free snacks or money. Jay was so caught up with his new girlfriend that he didn't realize he was accidentally exposing himself. He wasn't prepared for the worse to come when he least expected it. On top of not being able to make his own decisions, Jay had various setbacks piling onto one another. He was so caught up in his girlfriend that he was completely oblivious to what was really happening. At this point, Jay's adult mind was inactive, and his teenage urges were taking over. Jay was completely blind. He was unknowing.
   During his sophomore year, Jay had changed tactics three times to keep his business alive. All were going unnoticed until they were discovered. Jay had officially made a name for himself. Students applauded him for his courage to keep selling and coming up with new ways to continue his business. They eventually called Jay the snack man, the plug. They gave him his names because they said he moved like a drug dealer. Quick and quietly, and provided for everyone. Jay was finally getting the recognition his teenage self dreamt of. Little did he know that all the fame and accomplishments were going to his head, and he was losing sight of what was important. Jay didn't care that security kept a constant watch on him. He didn't seem to care about the consequences that were to come if he wasn't focused. He actually thought that there would be no consequences because he was so good at staying ahead. Jay got too cocky. He got too comfortable, which was one of the most detrimental things he could do to himself. He thought that because he was so good at remaining unnoticed, the unknowing wouldn't occur.
   We have to be careful about what we do and what we let go to our heads. Staying comfortable is the last thing you want to do, especially if you are in an environment that requires caution and quick thinking. If we remain comfortable, we tend to leave ourselves exposed and completely vulnerable. Jay was destroying himself without even noticing it. He had problems building up and surrounding him from every angle. He ignored it all, and once he finally opened his eyes, it was too late. "Everything's set. Business is running smoothly, everybody knows me, I even got a girlfriend. They think they can stop me, but I'm always ahead.". Jay's current mentality was steering him in the wrong direction. He didn't know how bad the consequences of unknowing would be since he thought he was two steps ahead. We can be extremely careful and completely unnoticeable, but none of it would matter if we make our intentions known. When we least expect it, everything collapses down on us from being too comfortable. We let our intentions known unknowingly, and it costs us nearly, if not everything we made for ourselves.