Jordan, ‘10

When is ‘this much’ too much?  College is the stepping stone.  We work here until we work ‘out there’ in the wide world of mortgages, car payments, and taxes.  One stone across a big river, flowing past at a million miles per second, and if you step off, you’ll never get hold of the rocks again.  That’s why, they (who’s they?) say, you have to push on until you get your dream–the job, the car, the prestige.  Curious, isn’t it, that “your dream” has lost its romantic intention by the time you reach twenty.  Then, sometimes you have to place yourself at risk for a heart attack at thirty to maintain that dream.  But it’s better in the long-run, they say. 

Last week, there was a story in the Collegian speaking about a 24-year-old alumnus who died in February.  He had a good life, a happy life, his friends and family said.  He loved music and animals and worked for the Bon Secours Richmond Health System as a reimbursement analyst in Fiscal Services. 

(transition missing - maybe there should be one)

Billy Joel was the one who coined the phrase, “Only the good die young,” back in 1977 and it was a part of a song about a young guy trying to convince a Catholic girl to sleep with him.  I’m not advocating that message and I also don’t believe that only good people die in their twenties.  There are plenty of mean ______ (you can fill the space yourself) that die young.  The point, though, is that some get it right.  Those I ask tell me the balance between play and work helps them feel like they’re living fulfilling lives.  Most of those individuals also do something they admire; they find jobs that are surprisingly enjoyable after years of block education.  We block subjects into subjects for a reason–science, business, English; they are general enough to cover exceptions, fusions, and oddities that fit into no category.  So, for example, while some feel extreme pressure trying to study for and find pleasure attending “Intro to All of Morality” (note: this is not a real class) when they want to specialize in “organized religion and its scandals” (note: also not a class, but that sounds much more interesting), they can look forward to finding a job that is more particular and peculiar and adapts to their tastes.

 I guess if there is a message in this post it would be that if you (the prospective student) are worried about learning around the job you really want, you’ll breach the gap yourself eventually.  And letting go of the pebble will not send you toward wild rapids that separate you irreparably from the “only rock crossing” in the stream.  The creek is full of stones, even if in this economy the water seems to be submerging the stones faster than you can cross.  Use the water to rejuvenate yourself and then find a new rock.  (Optimism is good for you, especially in the darkest, deepest water.)

 Get wet,

Jordan

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Okay, I’m going to share this with you.  This is me, watching the Oscars last Sunday night.  I didn’t know I was being filmed, but it’s the little things that give you pleasure.  Enjoy…you already know I’m odd so at least I warned the rest of you.  hehe.

Quotes of the week:

“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.” - Maria Robinson

“If you realized how powerful your thoughts are, you would never think a negative thought.” - Peace Pilgrim

“Optimist: Day-dreamer more elegantly spelled.” - Mark Twain