academic announcements, life, and sundries

[slingstone]

I've been very unhappy and restless academically.  This lead to depression symptoms; poor energy, irregular sleeping & eating, as well as a lack of confidence and commitment for my classes and future in the major.  I don't know if I have the skill and interest to master the History & Philosophy of Science at a scholarly level where I could ever

Comments

[fitz_clementine]

Oh, Kyle.

Just...just make sure this is something you're doing because you genuinely want to do it, okay, and not something you're doing because you feel guilty and adrift and are maybe panicking a tad bit. Also, please remember: you are not obligated to be a Productive Member of Society. Honestly, you're not. Maybe you have some kind of obligation to use your talents for the best possible purposes, or to develop them to the fullest extent that you can, but who decides what the best possible purposes are? Will you let your culture dictate them to you? Maybe it's better to be adrift than to commit oneself to something one is lukewarm about. You probably don't believe or agree with me, but I thought I'd tell you anyway. I'm sleepy, so forgive me if I'm not making sense. Anyway, good luck. Wherever you end up going.

[slingstone]

One of my fears in "publishing" my reasons and plan here and on facebook was that I came off as overly maudlin or solemn in my pronouncement that "I fucked up and now I need to pay my country back with service." While that is part of my motivation, it's not the majority. I was getting sour on the whole college scene and it's youthful frivolities. I want to do something else someWHERE else for a while. This is a chance to travel and see parts of my country and other countries that I could not see otherwise. In the beginning of moby dick (I think), Ishmael talks about how one should never travel (in his day, by boat) as merely a passenger paying for the privilege; if you really want to see a place, you ought to sign on as part of the crew and earn your way with labor

[fitz_clementine]

Okay.

Well. Best of luck, and come what may, don't rape anybody, try not to kill any civilians, and try not to die.

[palinurus]

Respect.