I Should

By Ian Crutcher Castillo

Should I pay for the MFA? Should I pay for law school? Should I pay for business school? Should I get a job in tech? Should I work at a non-profit? Should I grind at an investment bank? Should I intern at Bain and Company? Should I thrive in marketing? Should I invest in an index fund? Should I find out what an index fund is first? Should I go on a diet? Should I eat more protein? Should I stop eating meat? Should I stop ordering delivery from Doordash? Should I stop ordering delivery from Seamless? Should I stop ordering delivery from UberEats? Should I stop ordering delivery from Caviar? Should I just learn how to cook? Should I move to Los Angeles? Should I get out of the city? Should I move to a small town? Should I move to Miami? Should I open a bed-and-breakfast in Vermont? Should I leave the country and become an expat? Should I get into politics? Should I volunteer at a suicide hotline? Should I volunteer at a soup kitchen? Should I volunteer with the animal rescue?? Should I give away all my spare change? Should I smile more? Should I love what I do? Should I reduce my caloric intake? Should I trust my gut? Should I start moisturizing? Should I wear sunscreen even when I am not at the beach? Should I exercise? Should I go to therapy? Should I watch that movie? Should I watch that show? Should I read that book? Should I read that article? Should I read that article even if that article is written with AI? Should I listen to that song? Should I listen to the remix of that song? Should I still be supporting that artist? Should I only listen to music on vinyl? Should I travel? Should I support local businesses? Should I start a local business? Should I open myself up to new experiences? Should I listen to that podcast? Should I get offline? Should be more online? Should I meditate? Should I practice mindfulness? Should I be more intentional about what I put into my body? Should I embrace the now? Should I pray? Should I find a god? Should I reject atheism? Should I dabble in agnosticism? Should I consider every day that I am alive and healthy a “blessing”? Should I be outraged? Should I give up? Should I stop relying on others? Should I get a dog? Should I ask to be saved? Should I stay neutral? Should I pick a side? Should I see both sides? Should I be more independent? Should I join the protest? Should I go on a strike? Should I confess? Should I sacrifice? Should I ask for help? Should I take a stand? Should I stay at home? Should I get out there and socialize? Should I sober up? Should I hold an artistic practice? Should I get a hobby? Should I achieve a new skill? Should I live authentically? Should I be better? Should I whiten my teeth? Should I accept myself as I am? Should I want more out of life? Should I expect nothing less? Should I be happy? Should I try? Should I?

Ian Crutcher Castillo is a Spanish writer from Granada, Spain. He lives in Brooklyn, NY. He has stories in X-R-A-Y Literary Magazine, Maudlin House, Farewell Transmission, Necessary Fiction, SWAMP, BULL, VLAD MAG, and Wigleaf (forthcoming).