What Have I Done?

What have I done to deserve such a great life? Certainly nothing. I feel so blessed. Words cannot describe the gratitude I feel towards my friends and family for supporting me. Whether it we had a five minute conversation or you continually offered me advice or listened to my rants, how can I repay you? I feel so grateful to have the chance to pursue a higher education in the fields of my choosing. I have done nothing to be so lucky. Not by any stretch of the imagination. So in this short note, thank you. I'm forever indebted to my family and friends for their support.

Yours,

Andrew

"Do not walk in front of me, I may not follow. Do not walk behind me, I may not lead. Instead, just walk beside me and by my friend." - Albert Camus

We Did It, But At What Cost?

219-212. Health care passed. I'm in awe. But at what cost did it come? I could care less about the midterm results. The decorum and civility we once had as a nation is gone. People yell, "You lie!" and "Baby killer!" in Congress now. There is so much misinformation out there and tensions are high. I just wish people would be able to cooperate. That's all.

The State of the Union

Barack Obama called his shot and hit it. Straight up. He addressed almost all the controversial issues and called for accountability in both parties. The speech was a testament to his calm temperament and charisma, as if those were in doubt. What has been in doubt though are his governing skills. Obama regained his footing tonight. He offered ideas and plans to help this country weather this crisis. I will be anxious to see him follow through on these promises. A speech of epic proportions needs to be followed by epic action so the citizens have epic reassurance and are reminded of why we elected this man as our president. You best believe that he has my utmost faith.

The River of Time

"Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it." - Norman Maclean

I came across this quote today and feel it sums up life so eloquently. It seems eventually everything will come together. The river that ties everything together is time. A lot of times you feel connected between your past and your present; other times you don't. But things will eventually combine and make something larger than yourself. The majority of the time, that something is larger and grander than anything anyone of us could have imagined. Everyone has at least one experience in a situation when everything seemed in complete disarray. Often times the pieces fall into place when we least expect it. Other times, they may not. But the river of time washes over that bad memory, wearing it down to the point wear it may be just a small, weathered pebble rather than a boulder.

Perhaps it is my belief that our better days always lie ahead of us or perhaps I'm an eternal optimist, but I believe that as things merge into one our destinies are interconnected. We live not in a world that often views life as an individualistic journey; while this is a great thing, I think it is important to remember that often my success depends on your success. This is something great. Here we all have the chance to realize our potential as a collective group and not just individuals. The paradox is that for humanity to reach its potential, individuals must realize their potential. People come in all different variations, but that is the beauty of it. Eventually, we will all merge into one. Only then will the river of time run through it.