Today is a Journey

Earlier this week I read an amazing blog by a guy named Adam Young. Then, when we talked about liberal learning, I found that it could be connected to what it meant to learn in such a way. Liberal learning was expressed as learning just for the sake of discovery and interest, as well as paying attention to the learning itself and not just the destination. I really liked what the writer (Giamatti I think) said about the "real world." It is a common phrase that I often use in the way he was speaking out against. This is the real world. Right now. And we shouldn't keep waiting for things to start to start appreciate everything.

Yes, we may not have our degrees yet, or be able to get a job, but we are on the path and we are in the middle of the journey. As Young says, "Sometimes life is not about the destination, but about the journey designed to take you there." I think often times we get so caught up in where we are going that we forget to pay attention to what's going on around us. "That's when I realize I'm tired of waiting. I'm so sick of wishing I was there already. I'd rather look around and not have to squint to see the beauty that literally lies everywhere." This statement Young makes hits me because he mentions that beauty is everywhere. I often get so caught up in what I'm doing and all the stress that I hardly ever notice such beauty. I think that when we are in the midst of all our studies and homework and tests and papers we should remember to look around and take it all in. I mean, we only get four years of a college experience, and the path we take towards our goal is, in the sense of liberal learning, just as important as the eventual goal. A piece of paper stating you have a degree doesn't make you the person you are. The choices, experiences, and challenges you encounter up until graduation day are what make you who you are when you accept that degree. After all, we have no idea when we could leave this earth, and should be making each moment count as something other than just waiting for the next great thing.

This is what I am going to try to bear in mind as I work my way through the week. I am going to try to make something of the coming days. Rather than just doing enough to get by, I am going to try to focus on the things that are most important to me, whether they are academic, social, or spiritual. I need to stop concentrating on getting my work all finished and fantastic, and think more about the kind of person I want to be and how I will bring about such a change. As I noticed with high school, you only have four years to build that self up, and who you graduate as is most likely who those people will remember you as. Most likely, they won't really see you after graduation day. I've learned those four years goes by crazy fast. And it is my goal to be remembered as someone who cares about other people, not just someone who gets good grades. As Giamatti and Adam Young both state, this journey is just as important as the place I'll be four years from now.

Sarah Ann