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13,000 BCE
The Americas are Settled, and Thus History Begins
As a hot blooded American, the most valuable thing to me is the concept of America. If I were not American, I would not be me. If the Americas were never settled, the world would not exist. -
First Memory
I was in a McDonald's play structure, the one where you climb up through the netted platforms. I somehow lost track of where the openings in the nets were and I was stuck for a while. This is the first event that I really remember in a any sort of detail. The only things from before this point that I can think of are vague impressions that I am unsure actually occurred rather than simply happened in dreams. It's not an inherently important event, but I think about that time period a lot. -
Migration
When I was five (it was actually on my fifth birthday) my family moved from San Diego to our current residence in Overland Park. In the grand scheme of things it wasn't so momentous an occasion in terms of how it affected me, but at the time it was a major, rather uncomfortable, change. Especially when the journey was four straight days by car with our pets packed into the cars. -
Growing Up
I don't think a lot about my elementary school years. I can't remember them very well, so even if I wanted to reminisce over bygone days I would be hard pressed to find a subject. I also don't think I like those memories very much either. Nothing of any significant negative consequence happened, but I still view those years with a sort of distaste. I don't really like thinking about middle school, which I entered in 2012, either, but at least I can remember bits and pieces of it. -
Adolescence
Ah, my teenager years (that are ongoing). A very formative time in my life, as it is with many others. Lots has happened, good and bad. I fell out of touch with all my friends, but now I have found a group that is better for me. My sense of values have developed and hardened, and I won't allow the poor moral standing that pervades Southwest to sway me from what I know is right. Altogether, even though things feel pretty rough sometimes, I think things are going alright. -
College
The next big step in my grand tour of existence. I feel like it will probably be a more comfortable experience than high school, if I'm being frank. I would be able to surround myself with like-minded individuals, interested in the same things, and with whom I am able to discuss things I am interested in. Ideally, I will be going to Johns Hopkins, but that is far from a guarantee. The though of being far from home and independent is a little unnerving, but also exhilarating. -
The Highest Pursuit
I believe that educating oneself is the greatest goal one can aspire to accomplish, and it is a goal that will never be truly fulfilled. In keeping with that, I will likely be going into postgraduate education (given that my current interests do not change). Although it will be a large undertaking in terms of both effort and financial requirements, I hope that the good I will (ideally) be able to do will make up for it. It should also be personally fulfilling. -
Career
My previously alluded to interest is largely in mental health, primarily in how the physiology and chemistry of the brain affects an individuals mental health. I think the root of my interest is in the nervous system, but I am also passionate about mental health and I think we need more work to be done to help people who feel as though they are at the end of their rope. Life is hard enough without mental illness, it shouldn't be something you deal with all alone. -
The One True Guarentee
One day, I will die. Hopefully it's not too soon, but sometimes that's the way it is. Death is a fascinating subject, but also inherently unknowable. The only things I want out of my death are to have lived well, and to make it to the turn of the century. I am extremely frustrated that I missed the turn of the millennia by a couple of years. Although it is an ultimately arbitrary concept, it only happen once every one thousand years. At least I can blame my parents, eh? -
An Unlikely Eventuality
It is difficult for me to consider retirement for a variety of reasons. First, it is so far off as to be nonexistent. It is very difficult to clearly conceptualize something in the distant future. Secondly, what if I don't want to retire? If I enjoy my work and it is important to society, why should I stop? Do I even really have the right to? Lastly, with the way things are looking economically, it doesn't seem all too likely that retirement is even feasible for many of those in my generation.
