I have this one distinct memory from when I was a kid, I must have been about five, and my uncle asked me what I wanted to do when I grew up. Of course as a five-year-old kid I came up with two solid options, I was either going to become a firefighter or I was going to become an astronaut. But of course as it was, my uncle was not content with this answer and began to inquire why I came up with these specific prospective occupations. My uncle began enlightening me, if you would like to call it that, with his loads of knowledge; “you know astronauts don’t only go to space”, “many firefighters die on the job, are you ready to take that on”, “speaking of death, many astronauts die too”. I didn’t really make much of the conversation at the time except for the fact I was horrified.
Now I think back at this conversation and see the infinite depth in the conversation a little five-year-old was having with his uncle. The conversation was tackling the fundamental nature of economics and the concept of opportunity costs; if you do X you will only make Y and will be unable to do Z. People are mortal, we only have a limited amount of time with which we can do a limited amount of things on this planet, there are no ifs ands or buts about that. It is thirteen years after I first began thinking about what I really wanted to do with my life and as I have started college I am probably more confused then I have ever been. My hope for college is to find just some clarity in the haziness of life.
Jaime –
Isn’t it bizarre to come to a realization at this age about something we remember so long ago? That our perspective then was so different now, but we can place the images in our head the same way… I always ponder this and have had similar experiences to yours.
Are you interested in Economics? This school can lead you in so many great directions and I cannot wait to see what path you choose. The clarity will come, I promise 🙂
-Maria