The Road Forks Two Ways
If you've ever seen the movie "Yojimbo" by Akira Kurosawa, then you know the hero of the story, Sanjuro. At the very beginning of the movie, he is introduced as he is walking down an old, beaten path. After a few short minutes, the road forks, and Sanjuro is faced with what is to him at least, a minor problem. The camera pans to either direction, then back to Sanjuro, who looks nothing more than a little perplexed at his situation. Looking then to the ground before him, he lifts up a small, out of the place stick. He gives the wooden stranger a once over, examining it and testing it against the Earth, giving a good swing to see how strong the stick is. After evaluting the stick, he flicks his wrist and tosses the would be branch into the air. It lands and points clearly, and I do mean CLEARLY toward his right. With that, Sanjuro ventures down the right road, instead of the left.
Sometimes I wish I could just pick up a stick and let it decide where I should go.
I'm so uncertain as to where I go from this point, and uncertainty is truly an enemy not worth having around. Things are foggy, unclear, and not on the right road. I'm merely walking along, stopping at the fork and keeping myself from choosing which way to go. So, here I am, begging, complaining, pleading, doing anything but coming up with a decision on my own.
What's my problem, exactly?
I'm torn over what I should do, concerning my college education. Do I:
A.) Continue my education here in MD, transfer to UMBC/College Park.
B.) Continue my education up in NJ, transfer to MSU.
The most I've decided on this far is weighing the pros and cons on things.
Going to MSU:
PROS:
1.) I'll be able to take Japanese with a competent teacher.
2.) I'll have the opportunity to study abroad in Japan.
3.) I'll be in school with Thom, Matt, and Carson.
4.) I'll be somewhere new.
5.) I'll be challenged.
6.) I'll be out on my own, for once!
7.) I'll be living in a dorm.
8.) I'll be closer to Jason and Ree.
9.) I can study to become a teacher.
10.) I'll be meeting new people.
CONS:
1.) It will be expensive.
2.) I'll be challenged.
3.) I'll have to meet new people.
4.) I'll have to find a new job.
5.) I'll be away from home.
6.) I'll be on my own.
7.) I'll be farther away from the VA Crew.
8.) It will be much harder to go to cons.
9.) I'll be away from family and friends here in MD.
Staying here in MD:
PROS:
1.) School won't be as expensive.
2.) I'll be close to friends and family.
3.) I'll be comfortable.
4.) I'll be able to take Japanese.
5.) I'll be able to still work fulltime.
6.) I can go to cons and travel when I want to.
7.) I'll still be mid-way between NJ and VA.
CONS:
1.) I'll be comfortable.
2.) I'll be living at home.
3.) I'll be taking my parents money.
4.) I won't be able to study abroad.
5.) I won't be challenged.
6.) I won't meet new people.
7.) I won't be on my own.
8.) I won't be able to hang with Thom.
9.) I might get too used to being at home.
10.) I won't be inspired.
11.) I'll never know what it's like to be out in the real world.
12.) I won't live in a dorm.
I've been making myself sick over this, or at least uneasy to my stomach. If I did go to MSU, it wouldn't be until the fall. I'm also sure that I could enter in as a Sophomore, or a Junior, depending upon the number of credits I finish with. That also takes into consideration if MSU will take the credits I have, or if I can even transfer from here.
-Sighs-
This is all something I have to do on my own. Most of my life, I've had to have things helped with, knowing I couldn't do them on my own. In turn, it just ends up that people do things for me, when I could put in the same amount of effort that they did and get things done with their help or just do it solo.
I still haven't answered my 12th question. I feel like I rushed through things, and I'm so unsure of my reasonings behind going to MSU. I'm so unsure if I even want to go now. Being away from everything scares me, as I'm sure it'd scare anyone else.
I wonder, even if he is just a fictional character, how Luffy felt when he finally left home. Or any fictional character for that matter... What is it like to leave everything behind, uncertain of when you might return? If I go to school, I know I'd be back for breaks and vacations and all of that, but...
I've never really been away from here, as many times as I've said I wanted to just get up and go on an adventure. Here I am, shaking at the knees, too comfortable to leave the warm blanket I've wrapped myself in. I'm stuck in a womb, sucking the ambilical chord dry.
A seaman is trained to know when to lift and drop sail. He reads the winds, the way the sky turns dark, the rock of the waves. I think life tries to show us the times we need to lift up our sails and catch those gusts of wind that come our way. It's been a calm ocean for some time, and I've done more than just dropped my sail. I've dropped anchor, settled at port, and made my home with the things I have.
It's about time I lifted the weights, tossed up the canvas, and caught a breeze to carry me elsewhere. If my friends are truly friends, they'll still keep in touch if I go away, and family will obviously stay close. Cons come and go, and as much as I'd like to buy the things I want, it's better to invest in the opportunities given to me. Why stay here, when I go elsewhere? Will I miss the home I've made? The friends I've made? The things I've gained?
Yeah, who wouldn't?
"Home is where your heart is"
My heart lies in many places, but my heart is set on going to MSU.
I'm going to go for MSU, win or fail.
-Dan
Sometimes I wish I could just pick up a stick and let it decide where I should go.
I'm so uncertain as to where I go from this point, and uncertainty is truly an enemy not worth having around. Things are foggy, unclear, and not on the right road. I'm merely walking along, stopping at the fork and keeping myself from choosing which way to go. So, here I am, begging, complaining, pleading, doing anything but coming up with a decision on my own.
What's my problem, exactly?
I'm torn over what I should do, concerning my college education. Do I:
A.) Continue my education here in MD, transfer to UMBC/College Park.
B.) Continue my education up in NJ, transfer to MSU.
The most I've decided on this far is weighing the pros and cons on things.
Going to MSU:
PROS:
1.) I'll be able to take Japanese with a competent teacher.
2.) I'll have the opportunity to study abroad in Japan.
3.) I'll be in school with Thom, Matt, and Carson.
4.) I'll be somewhere new.
5.) I'll be challenged.
6.) I'll be out on my own, for once!
7.) I'll be living in a dorm.
8.) I'll be closer to Jason and Ree.
9.) I can study to become a teacher.
10.) I'll be meeting new people.
CONS:
1.) It will be expensive.
2.) I'll be challenged.
3.) I'll have to meet new people.
4.) I'll have to find a new job.
5.) I'll be away from home.
6.) I'll be on my own.
7.) I'll be farther away from the VA Crew.
8.) It will be much harder to go to cons.
9.) I'll be away from family and friends here in MD.
Staying here in MD:
PROS:
1.) School won't be as expensive.
2.) I'll be close to friends and family.
3.) I'll be comfortable.
4.) I'll be able to take Japanese.
5.) I'll be able to still work fulltime.
6.) I can go to cons and travel when I want to.
7.) I'll still be mid-way between NJ and VA.
CONS:
1.) I'll be comfortable.
2.) I'll be living at home.
3.) I'll be taking my parents money.
4.) I won't be able to study abroad.
5.) I won't be challenged.
6.) I won't meet new people.
7.) I won't be on my own.
8.) I won't be able to hang with Thom.
9.) I might get too used to being at home.
10.) I won't be inspired.
11.) I'll never know what it's like to be out in the real world.
12.) I won't live in a dorm.
I've been making myself sick over this, or at least uneasy to my stomach. If I did go to MSU, it wouldn't be until the fall. I'm also sure that I could enter in as a Sophomore, or a Junior, depending upon the number of credits I finish with. That also takes into consideration if MSU will take the credits I have, or if I can even transfer from here.
-Sighs-
This is all something I have to do on my own. Most of my life, I've had to have things helped with, knowing I couldn't do them on my own. In turn, it just ends up that people do things for me, when I could put in the same amount of effort that they did and get things done with their help or just do it solo.
I still haven't answered my 12th question. I feel like I rushed through things, and I'm so unsure of my reasonings behind going to MSU. I'm so unsure if I even want to go now. Being away from everything scares me, as I'm sure it'd scare anyone else.
I wonder, even if he is just a fictional character, how Luffy felt when he finally left home. Or any fictional character for that matter... What is it like to leave everything behind, uncertain of when you might return? If I go to school, I know I'd be back for breaks and vacations and all of that, but...
I've never really been away from here, as many times as I've said I wanted to just get up and go on an adventure. Here I am, shaking at the knees, too comfortable to leave the warm blanket I've wrapped myself in. I'm stuck in a womb, sucking the ambilical chord dry.
A seaman is trained to know when to lift and drop sail. He reads the winds, the way the sky turns dark, the rock of the waves. I think life tries to show us the times we need to lift up our sails and catch those gusts of wind that come our way. It's been a calm ocean for some time, and I've done more than just dropped my sail. I've dropped anchor, settled at port, and made my home with the things I have.
It's about time I lifted the weights, tossed up the canvas, and caught a breeze to carry me elsewhere. If my friends are truly friends, they'll still keep in touch if I go away, and family will obviously stay close. Cons come and go, and as much as I'd like to buy the things I want, it's better to invest in the opportunities given to me. Why stay here, when I go elsewhere? Will I miss the home I've made? The friends I've made? The things I've gained?
Yeah, who wouldn't?
"Home is where your heart is"
My heart lies in many places, but my heart is set on going to MSU.
I'm going to go for MSU, win or fail.
-Dan