Today, as I was walking on campus, I reached the conclusion that I am a humanist. There are some people in my life I consider prophets, some Oracles (little Matrix reference for you), and some are fairly non-insightful (but I love them anyway). Some people know what I need and when I need it, some people just know that I need something from looking at the obviously sick look on my face. But by and large, I am consistently astounded by the perceptive abilities of humans.
Here's an example of this in motion, on a larger scale: I received an email from a friend on the day I decided to apply to another college, certain that my time at Baylor was done. He said this, verbatim: "I don't know why, but I think you need to talk to someone at Baylor today - maybe Dr. Greene [my mentor here]. I don't know who. I just think today is a big day for you, I think today you are going to find out why you're at Baylor. Please take this seriously!"
So, without wasting a minute, I logged out and walked over to Dr. Greene's office, and he was not surprisingly confused about my arrival. But the conversation (as it usually does with him) turned very deep, and ended with him saying the following, verbatim: "I think you're the reason I'm here." And that was the moment I knew the email was exactly what I needed to hear at exactly the right time. I'll be coming back to Baylor next term.
Protagoras says, "A human being is the measure of all things - of things that are, that they are, and of things that are not, that they are not." I just read that and said, "Damn straight, they are." My friends, my mentors, my family - they are the measures by which I measure everything in my life. I'm excited that I am able to live a life in which I can follow the advice of my friends at whim. But their advice is more than just insightful - it is warm, kind, selfless, and loving. Humans are frickin' great.
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Stephanie,
ReplyDeleteI'm glad that you chose to stay at Baylor. I have and continue to face much doubt about my own journey here. As a Muslim, it is difficult to find a positive place in the Baylor bubble. I have considered transferring since my first semester as a freshman, and I'm going to be a senior in the fall. I decided to stay.
I wonder if you were destined to stay here. Do you believe in any notion of destiny or fate? Your friend's e-mail seems to suggest that he does, and your response seems to put some faith in that by trusting his instincts and visiting Dr. Greene. That is not to say that there aren't other places you could grow and learn from besides Baylor, but more that the experiences you will receive here are uniquely valuable to the struggles that you are facing.
Best wishes!
Hey Shayan, thanks for all your comments! I absolutely believe in fate/destiny - that's why I followed my buddy's advice in the email, really without any consideration. I trusted him without any good reason, maybe because he gave me advice without any good reason. That's about how I see fate - it's what will be, without any good reason for it to be so. And I think you're right, that my experiences here are unique, and I feel now that whatever other option I chose for a college wouldn't give me exactly what I need.
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