Why I have taken so much interest in the Olympics
Mainly, its a selfish reason. Its because Olympic athletes are the only people I can really relate to in terms of my life decisions.
I mean, grad school isn't like med school. You don't know anything. Its up to you and only you to graduate. You don't have a date. It could very well take 7 or 8 years of your life to finish. You don't know how your results are going to turn out. Its 12 hour days for years and years.
Often of late I have cursed myself for picking such a hard career.
But at least I'm not in the Olympics.
I mean, geez. These people are insane. They work 12 hour days for years and years. Few will get gold medals, and then what? Home Depot proudly employs olympic athletes, according to their commercials...
Grueling work, only to face those who have worked harder and eat defeat.
Relentless practice, only to get to the top of the hill and hit the only freak ice spot on the way down. Grinding down your ligaments and joints, racing against time to get something to show for it before you physically can't.
Racing against the athletes who got all the advantages you didn't. Perfecting everything and then the track has one tricky spot that your equipment is more susceptible to.
This 16-year-old hotshot, landed some crazy complicated trick. And you know the only reason she can afford to risk it is because its going to go alot better for her than the older athletes if she injures herself. Surely there was years of practice behind that. And at her age, that must mean supportive parents with plenty of time to drive her around, etc. Is that fair?
No. And neither is grad school. There are students here from halfway around the world, wandering around culture shocked and grief stricken, struggling with the language and homesickness. Other students have fancy laptops, cars, and partners at home with a hot meal waiting. Some students are better prepared than others- they got better educations coming in, they were given priority training in their institutions.
Fair? You would want it so, but it isn't. The playing field just isn't even. And for years and years of your life you would want it to be but oh well.
See, if these people are willing to risk so much for so little then I can too. I mean, after all- who do we look up to in society? The combination risk-taker hard-worker.You can walk whatever walk you like in life. But with this many people on the planet, it had better be impressive to make any mark at all.
And that is why I have taken so much interest in the Olympics.
I mean, grad school isn't like med school. You don't know anything. Its up to you and only you to graduate. You don't have a date. It could very well take 7 or 8 years of your life to finish. You don't know how your results are going to turn out. Its 12 hour days for years and years.
Often of late I have cursed myself for picking such a hard career.
But at least I'm not in the Olympics.
I mean, geez. These people are insane. They work 12 hour days for years and years. Few will get gold medals, and then what? Home Depot proudly employs olympic athletes, according to their commercials...
Grueling work, only to face those who have worked harder and eat defeat.
Relentless practice, only to get to the top of the hill and hit the only freak ice spot on the way down. Grinding down your ligaments and joints, racing against time to get something to show for it before you physically can't.
Racing against the athletes who got all the advantages you didn't. Perfecting everything and then the track has one tricky spot that your equipment is more susceptible to.
This 16-year-old hotshot, landed some crazy complicated trick. And you know the only reason she can afford to risk it is because its going to go alot better for her than the older athletes if she injures herself. Surely there was years of practice behind that. And at her age, that must mean supportive parents with plenty of time to drive her around, etc. Is that fair?
No. And neither is grad school. There are students here from halfway around the world, wandering around culture shocked and grief stricken, struggling with the language and homesickness. Other students have fancy laptops, cars, and partners at home with a hot meal waiting. Some students are better prepared than others- they got better educations coming in, they were given priority training in their institutions.
Fair? You would want it so, but it isn't. The playing field just isn't even. And for years and years of your life you would want it to be but oh well.
See, if these people are willing to risk so much for so little then I can too. I mean, after all- who do we look up to in society? The combination risk-taker hard-worker.You can walk whatever walk you like in life. But with this many people on the planet, it had better be impressive to make any mark at all.
And that is why I have taken so much interest in the Olympics.