In his poem “Song of Myself,” Walt Whitman presents an appreciation for his life and all the activities that make up his day. He describes the “celebration” of his life and his journey to get to where he stands in the world. He understands that this journey cannot and should not be questioned or challenged. We all have a unique journey that brought us to where we are in life. Without this journey, we would not have the mentality and aspirations that is ingrained in us today. We should always be conscious and grateful for where we came from in the sense of our journeys. Walt Whitman feels that everything in the world is good and for something to be considered “bad,” it must contribute to some greater good.

Similar to Walt Whitman’s journey, I too have a journey that influenced where I stand today. Since I was a sophomore in high school, I knew I wanted to attend Baruch College as a finance major. I was fond of the idea that Baruch was located in Manhattan, which is the heart of most, if not all, distinguished business opportunities. After years of hard work and drive, I received academic scholarship to Baruch and greatly looked forward to my future there. Everyday I am conscious of my journey at Baruch because I feel that the choices I make now will be of great significance to my adulthood. Whitman sums up the meaning of his journey with, “The past and present wilt—I have fill’d them, emptied them, And proceed to fill my next fold of the future.” Through this, he encapsulates that we cannot worry about the past and present as it is already fulfilled. We must look to the future with high hopes and enormous ambitions as we continue and perfect our journey.