I don't want to be apathetic

Readers, I'm sure you remember a recent post about apathy. Last time, it was in the context of World War Two and the politicians who signed their own death warrants through apathy.

Today, I want to tell you about a recent encounter with apathy that I had. It was the first week of classes, and the teacher was introducing himself and explaining how he grades and what he looks for and how we can get an A in the class. He paused and said "Hey, all you students who have to get an A in every class...don't worry about it. Settle for a B, will ya?" And the class chuckled and the teacher moved on. I thought to myself, how awful!? The teacher is telling us to NOT give all our effort, to NOT try, to NOT be hard on ourselves and strive for the best grade we can earn. Why would he tell us that!?

I have disregarded his advice. Now, that is NOT to say that I'm going to jump off a cliff to my sudden, instant death if I earn an A- or even a B+, but it does mean that I am going to work with an A mentality. As my high school adviser and mentor told me, "What level do you want to play at [in life]? THAT is the level that you have to train at." So if I want to "play" in a world-renowned school of business, I better be training at the top as I prepare to go there! Don't let apathy rob you of potential. Or rather, don't give away your potential to apathy.

Trains.

Hello, dear readers My, it's been a while since I've written. Why is that? Hmm...oh yes. School started. So now I've completed today's assignments, and I was chatting with a dear friend.

We were talking about a couple of mutual friends who are about to get married. To each other. In March. And I thought to myself, I want to ride the train. Why, you might ask. What does two friends getting married have anything at all to do with riding a train? How are these subjects related? What is the correlation between them?

The answer, I must warn you, is not a profound one. It is not a brilliant, well-planned out answer. It is the truth, so I must answer it, since you have asked. The answer is, I have to take a train to get to their wedding. That is all. But can you grasp what expectation and anticipation is held in this simple train ride? Two of my dear friends are about to embark on the journey of wedded life together, and I get to be a part of their celebrations, and my travels start with a train ride.

Oh, that's pathetic! you might say, How can you long for the train ride when you should be anticipating the ceremony?! My friends, I cannot tell you. All I can say is that I want to go on a train for a long ride. I am planning on it, and I will get on a train on March 24th and I will ride that train till it gets to my stop. And then I will get off the train, and I will embrace many, many people who are dear to me...and then I will get back on a train, and I will ride the train back home.