And the invasion continues...

[KCat]

i don't remember the sort of time pressures on me that you are experiencing Daniel. And when I watch my daughter's frenetic lifestyle, I don't remember that either. Of course, by her age (21) I was a mom already and working to pay a mortgage. But it still didn't seem as time-consuming as her daily effort.

 

She works full-time plus, goes to school, has 2 very child-like cats, a boyfriend, and volunteers at an animal shelter. And still finds time for her true passion - shopping.

 

it wears me out just typing about it..

[dava]

As for your own definition of yourself, I seem to recall a picture that I saw on Pentrace--quite awhile ago--of a guy who sports an exotic and intriguing mustasche. It was taken at a pen club meeting--I want to say the KC pen club meeting, but I'm not sure.

 

Daniel

 

Your memory is phenomenal! Yes, that was me, the handsome fellow with red hair, the full circle handlebar mustache and van-dyke beard. Yes, KC was the place. I look much better in 1740's attire or in a civil war uniform--grey of course. With a memory like yours it is no wonder you excell in school and have no time for life. Just beware of the trap that causes one to work all the time. One must allow time for recreation in order to keep the mind sharp and simultaneously allow the subconcious to run on "autopilot" solving the trickier problems of the day or risk burnout. :bonk:

 

I often feel like I have ceased to exist as a human being. Instead, I feel like a robot.

 

This is how the majority of the world feels, a sad but true commentary on life. It seems far too many of us are trying to meet deadlines, schedules, quotas and make a buck (or in your case, a grade) that we end up zombies, barely functioning and emotionally crippled.

 

A man I respect once said: "far too many people spend their entire lifetimes making a living. Making a living is the small, time-serving, dwarfed and paralyzed mans object. Making a life is the kingly, righteous and holy mans object. The one lives in the narrow, prison-limited circle of self, and the other in a world which is bounded only when infinity and eternity have limits". Good words from a plumber who never went to school, didn't learn to read until middle-aged, and yet traversed the world many times over.

 

With your background, I suspect you will go far in life. Just remember that the only way to avoid becoming a zombie is to do what really satisfies you, something that pulls the virtue (look that one up in your M-W) out of you and uses your abilitys to affect the world in a positive fashion. You are positioned to enter into and ride a coming wave of discovery unlike the world has ever seen, an explosion of knowledge beyond our wildest dreams--but you must avoid the trap of ignoring lifes inflow; outward abilities will atrophy if inward energies are not renewed.

 

Now, get off this pen"board" and get onto a surf"board", head for the beach and catch a beach bunnie or two--times ah wastin bucko !!!

 

David

[Keith with a capital K]

" Sweet. Once we take the boards, the world shouldn't be too hard."

 

I haven't the heart to tell them that youth and skill are often matched and surpassed by old age and trickery.

 

But seriously... it's good to see you guys here.

 

Cheers!

[Daniel Shih]

Hey all,

 

I've been busy the last couple of days, and I'll most likely be a great deal busier in the next few days! For the rest of the week, I'll be attending 2-3 classes a day and seeing what Stanford's all about. Then there's the Asian American Issues Conference all day Saturday and I'm taking the red-eye home so that I have all of Sunday to get my schoolwork together (I was originally flying back for a orchestra seating audition, but I was fortunately able to move it about).

 

Boy, this is turning into a mini-blog--something I've always vowed not to do!

 

KCat: I think part of the time pressures are just due to the sheer amount of stuff I'm involved in and do. However, I think the reason I often find myself so exhausted is because so much of the work I do lacks any meaning whatsoever. Hopefully, as I drift off to college, things will change. College, from what my brothers and friends say, allows for a lot of free time. In fact, my "sources" tell me that if one doesn't do any activities, college turns out to be quite a boring experience. So, my hope is that when I get to college, not only will I be able to take classes that matter to me, I'll have more time both to myself and working on activities and in organizations that matter to me insetad of spending most of my time sitting in dull classes doodling with my fountain pens.

 

David: I don't know if my memory is really all that phenomenal; some things just stick around in my head. Generally, things that I find interesting or important stay in my head for quite awhile. Your point about making time to keep one's emotional self healthy is well taken here; I think that, in many respects, I've made great strides in my path towards a more fulfilling existence. In my earlier high school years, I often found myself mysteriously afflicted with a constant sense of dull unsatisfaction. Time and increased maturity have allowed me to realize that much of this unsatisfaction results from oftentimes living my life for ridiculous goals of meritocracy (e.g. getting into a college like Stanford). I no longer have any aspirations towards making exorbinate amounts of money or becoming world-famous. I just want to be happy and make a positive difference in society. I was fortunate enough to be able to sit down and journal for a couple of hours and read (Orwell's Road to Wigan Pier). As for beach-bunnies...they might not fit my personality and what I'm lookin' for in a gal. I mean, I don't even like swimming.

 

Keith: Don't worry, us young 'uns have taken into account the treacherous trickiness of the terrible turds. (Just kidding of course; most old people don't resemble fecal matter) Bwhahahahaha!