My name is Raymond and my soul is restless. Sole child of immigrant parents, I have struggled to escape the banality of life. “Everyone will know my name,” I declared. As I grew up, conformity strangled me like a noose. My high school experience was like a bad high: surreal and terrifying. I warred against ennui and the mind-numbing emptiness that marched with it. I pushed away close friends and neglected my health. My grades suffered and I abandoned the swimming team. Like a hobo and his bag, I pathetically clung to my last possession, lone wolf status, like a badge of honor. But no man is an island. After graduating, I escaped my isolation but entered purgatory as I tried to discover myself. I worked some odd jobs as well as volunteering for nonprofits across the country. My parents were undoubtedly disappointed, as if I had betrayed the toil they invested to provide a better life for me. But the sun rises and the sun sets; time’s arrow stops for nobody. Thankfully, this is not the Jerry Springer show, and our love is still mutual. This prodigal son has returned to finish what he started.
cool story bro (TL;DR version)
I have been and am currently driven by one factor: to enrich myself through experience by learning and meeting new people.
Old ghosts continue to haunt me.
I fear the snake pit from which I climbed. My bad habits lurk below: especially procrastination. I will try to avoid squandering spare time, exceptionally harder now that I don’t work or volunteer.
That said, I tend to be skittish around new people.
I also have to be vigilant of my health. I have to stop being lazy. The plan is to bypass the “Freshman 15” and return to my old weight (Snickers sandwiches, anyone?).
Hopefully, my college experience will be the exact opposite of my high school experience. I feel like I matured since then (i.e. not as crazy). I will actually invest time and effort into schoolwork (i.e. not herpderp-ing them on the subway). I’ve also befriended some cool people since school started (long journeys need good company).
I think my freshman experience will provide insight and depth for the rest of my college career. It is a dress rehearsal for the rest of life: learning how to juggle work, school and personal agendas.
EDIT: In retrospect, I am actually infinitely more cheerful than this post implies.
