Traipsing down the 11th hole on a sultry, August morning I find my attention to the game shattered when one of the golfers I’m caddying for says something quite profound.
“Joe,” he says casually, “I’d have to say that all of my success in business can directly attributed to me out-working everybody around me.”
Conversation on the course is limited in nature; it goes against golf etiquette to speak when other players are hitting or putting. However dialogue between the caddies and golfers is another story. Every time I go out on to the course I can expect the same three queries: “What grade are you in? “What high school do you go to? What colleges are you looking at?” Even for the golfers I’ve carried for a half dozen times will still fall back on the safety questions. Aside from the basic trinity, talk is intermittent and short. However when it does come, it can be meaningful.
As we continued to play, I returned time and again to this auto-biographical phrase as I handed him his putter, cleaned his ball, and moved ahead of the group to forecaddie. This particular man, Colin Foster, I’ve known for years. His son is a fellow boy scout in the same troop as me and I’ve camped with the man on numerous occasions. One would think that on account of our previous acquaintances, he would have opted to transfer his clubs from his travel bag to a summer bag before we teed off. Nonetheless, he’s a very successful, high-ranking, corporate man who is quite wealthy; you almost have to be to own membership to a country club. It is precisely because these golfers are so successful financially that I value their advice in the hopes that I can apply it to my own life and also prosper.
The notion that hard work yields rewards is an idea that I hold to be true and one that I aim to live my life by. I have decided that I will not life an insignificant life or be forgotten when I die, and am determined to do everything in my power to make that dream a reality. Hard work, determination, perseverance, and ambition are all qualities that will be need to be put to good work to realize my goal, and it is clear from Mr. Foster’s own experiences that he also possesses those attributes.
While cleaning Colin’s clubs after the match had concluded, I was approached by none other than Mr. Foster and paid a sum that was lower than was typical for the quality of work that I felt I had done. I didn’t bemoan the emission of a tip from my pay, there are some frugal golfers at the club and they are well-known among the caddies for it. What I did take away from the episode however, is that not even the best of efforts will yield the reward they deserve. Mr. Foster inadvertently showed me that it will ultimately be up to others to first judge my efforts in life before determining a reward; acting as a reality check to my idealistic views on hard work.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Friday, October 19, 2007
The Meaning Of Life
At the end of my life, the five things that I want to have accomplished/experienced/possessed are (in no particular order):
1. Experience (i.e. survive) a combat situation
2. Have children (sons)
3. To Be fluent in at least one other language
4. Something profound that will cause my name and deeds to live on forever
5. See the world
Ultimately I hope to have a much more productive life than is implied by a mere list of five, and consequently I think if I really had to make a list it would just go on an on. Most of the items on my list are desirable to me because they fall into line with the underlying theme of my life: to be the best human being possible. I also believe that should I accomplish everything on my list, I will also have gained wisdom, which was not included because I consider it a byproduct of experiences coupled with logic.
One way in which you better yourself is by experiencing. An experience can teach you a great deal about a way of life or shed light on a previously held ideal. Humanity is the benefactor of human migration because as people from separate regions intermingle, there is a sharing of cultures, which enriches society as a whole. As humanity learns more about itself, society becomes more tolerant and less hostile and the quality of life for all improves significantly.
The ability to communicate in another language is a noteworthy skill and one that contributes to a person’s worldliness. I do believe that one can never be too worldly, and fluency in a second (or third) language always is a positive addition to one’s life. In a perfect world, or if I was some incredible being that could learn languages rapidly, I would attempt to gain fluency in Latin, German, Russian, Greek, Arabic, and Gaelic. For now at least, I will simply have to settle with my semi-fluency in Spanish after nearly six years of instruction.
Multi-linguists bridge the gaps between cultures that would otherwise remain separated. The sharing of ideas and mixing of cultures would be utterly impossible if all humans were incapable of learning new languages. Translators bring peace to our world as well. Every delegate to the United Nations has an earpiece through which they can understand the positions and arguments of other nations (through their representatives, of course). Indeed, such things as treaties and international cooperation would not be possible without people behind the scenes deciphering vocalizations.
Seeing the world is something else that goes hand-in-hand with worldliness and experience. I also have an inherent desire to travel the world and see the sights, meet the people, and experience the lifestyles of foreign lands. The feeling that one gets when standing at the base of the Great Pyramids or at a civil war battle field where thousands died is purely magical. When traveling and visiting historical sights, I become immersed in the landscape around me and my mind wanders as I ponder what it was like to have been there at its apex. The best way for me to describe why I want to travel the world is that I love learning about history, and whenever I can live part of that history, it truly is a priceless experience.
The effects of other people visiting other parts of the world have rippled throughout time. The great explorers of the past, who did not so much “discover” lands that were already inhabited, but shed light on their existence and allowed for the mutual acknowledgement of a larger world. Cultural diffusion is another effect of human visitation, and this sharing of ideas has continued from the hand axe to the spread of nationalism to the latest fads of contemporary times.
The greatest fear that I have is dying and being forgotten. I just can’t understand how people can bear living their whole life knowing that in the grand scheme of things their existence has the value equivalent to a grain of sand. I personally decided a long time ago that my main goal in life would be to do something that would make a difference in the world. To have my name be as well known as George Washington’s or Dwight Eisenhower’s would be the greatest accomplishment that I could possibly muster. When I say that I want to be remembered when I die, I don’t mean for a brief moment, but for all of history. 150 years from now I want children to read my name in a history book and be able to know my name and what I accomplished in my life. Being remembered is something that is immensely important to me, and I have turned my fear of being forgotten into a driving ambition that is, and will continue to propel me throughout my life until I have achieved all that I can.
If no one in human history ever had the ambition needed to reign, conquer, triumph, and persevere through hardship, the world would certainly be a far different place than it is today- and probably a worse place. Almost all of the great people that society remembers were ambitious and strived to succeed; the only exceptions being those truly caught by surprise in the right place at the right time. People with this same desire for what is essentially immortality have typically brought out the worst in mankind (i.e. Hitler) but I believe that they were evil by nature and lacked the mental strength to overcome their sinister beliefs and right their wrongs. I do not worry that I will commit some terrible deed in the name of immortality because I have no such desires and I believe my mental strength to be as formidable as ever.
Having children is something that is very important to me. Somewhere down the line (far, far down the line) I want to settle down, get married and have kids. When I say kids, I want sons. I want my sons to play lacrosse and golf, to play guitar, to get good grades – essentially to be like me. Now I would say that I share the same desires as most fathers do, and that is to see their sons grow up in their father's image, and ultimately become greater than their fathers. However, the notion that a son exists only to please his father is foolish and something that every father must understand.
My father once said to me, several years ago, that if I were to die, so would the family name, because my two sisters would be unable to pass it down to their children. I had never thought about life that way until my dad pointed that out to me, and immediately the continuation of my last name became one of my life-goals. There are few things that I would love more than to know that my name and legacy have continued on for generations, and that I did my part by having sons.
Procreation is vital to humanity simply because it ensures the growth and preservation of the species. For example, the only life goal for every other creature in the animal kingdom is to reach mating age and procreate. Once offspring have been produced, the parents must pass all of their knowledge onto their younglings so that their children can repeat the process. With hominids being a species of animal as well, we can see similar patterns in humanity. The concept of parents raising their children is entirely instinctual. In fact it is because of that instinct that we naturally take pity on orphans, or feel the need to adopt other children. Before civilization, the life-goals of every human were clear: survive, mature, reproduce, and repeat. It is because of civilization that the “meaning of life” question exists, and we find ourselves confused as to our individual purpose. Religion, literature, and science are creations of man built out of the necessity to find our place in the world. The “Enkidu-ic” idea that civilization has the power to separate man from beast is proven once again.
My one life-goal that is most difficult to explain is why I want to experience a combat situation. This desire to fight or do battle I something that I know is not shared by everybody, and is very tricky to explicate without coming across as bloodthirsty or savage. The best way that I can describe this phenomenon is that it comes (for me at least) from being curious as to how I would react when my life is truly in danger, and that any action could be by last. Perhaps I see combat as the “ultimate challenge” that one can face, and by surviving it one has reached a higher level. Indeed that must be true, in part because of how we hold veterans in such high esteem in the real world. If a veteran is taken advantage in the real world the public is instantly in uproar and clamoring for justice and compensation and in doing so we elevate the status of combat veterans to a place above the average person.
Combat veterans aid humanity in the sense that their deeds provide a reference for each generation to refer to when considering their own war. If no veterans existed to share their stories, the immense sacrifice of their comrades would pass unnoticed and the reasons for their deaths come under question. Conversely, veterans can also produce the idea/illusion that wars do not result in the destruction of everyone and every thing, and that it is possible to survive combat. America must believe the latter, or else is very stubborn, because for every generation of Americans since the founding of our country has had their own conflict to join. Perhaps fighting is just part of the American spirit, born out of the frequent Indian skirmishes that plagued the first settlers in the North America. It would be reasonable to assume therefore, that as an American I have just caught the “bug” that has afflicted millions of Americans just like me.
1. Experience (i.e. survive) a combat situation
2. Have children (sons)
3. To Be fluent in at least one other language
4. Something profound that will cause my name and deeds to live on forever
5. See the world
Ultimately I hope to have a much more productive life than is implied by a mere list of five, and consequently I think if I really had to make a list it would just go on an on. Most of the items on my list are desirable to me because they fall into line with the underlying theme of my life: to be the best human being possible. I also believe that should I accomplish everything on my list, I will also have gained wisdom, which was not included because I consider it a byproduct of experiences coupled with logic.
One way in which you better yourself is by experiencing. An experience can teach you a great deal about a way of life or shed light on a previously held ideal. Humanity is the benefactor of human migration because as people from separate regions intermingle, there is a sharing of cultures, which enriches society as a whole. As humanity learns more about itself, society becomes more tolerant and less hostile and the quality of life for all improves significantly.
The ability to communicate in another language is a noteworthy skill and one that contributes to a person’s worldliness. I do believe that one can never be too worldly, and fluency in a second (or third) language always is a positive addition to one’s life. In a perfect world, or if I was some incredible being that could learn languages rapidly, I would attempt to gain fluency in Latin, German, Russian, Greek, Arabic, and Gaelic. For now at least, I will simply have to settle with my semi-fluency in Spanish after nearly six years of instruction.
Multi-linguists bridge the gaps between cultures that would otherwise remain separated. The sharing of ideas and mixing of cultures would be utterly impossible if all humans were incapable of learning new languages. Translators bring peace to our world as well. Every delegate to the United Nations has an earpiece through which they can understand the positions and arguments of other nations (through their representatives, of course). Indeed, such things as treaties and international cooperation would not be possible without people behind the scenes deciphering vocalizations.
Seeing the world is something else that goes hand-in-hand with worldliness and experience. I also have an inherent desire to travel the world and see the sights, meet the people, and experience the lifestyles of foreign lands. The feeling that one gets when standing at the base of the Great Pyramids or at a civil war battle field where thousands died is purely magical. When traveling and visiting historical sights, I become immersed in the landscape around me and my mind wanders as I ponder what it was like to have been there at its apex. The best way for me to describe why I want to travel the world is that I love learning about history, and whenever I can live part of that history, it truly is a priceless experience.
The effects of other people visiting other parts of the world have rippled throughout time. The great explorers of the past, who did not so much “discover” lands that were already inhabited, but shed light on their existence and allowed for the mutual acknowledgement of a larger world. Cultural diffusion is another effect of human visitation, and this sharing of ideas has continued from the hand axe to the spread of nationalism to the latest fads of contemporary times.
The greatest fear that I have is dying and being forgotten. I just can’t understand how people can bear living their whole life knowing that in the grand scheme of things their existence has the value equivalent to a grain of sand. I personally decided a long time ago that my main goal in life would be to do something that would make a difference in the world. To have my name be as well known as George Washington’s or Dwight Eisenhower’s would be the greatest accomplishment that I could possibly muster. When I say that I want to be remembered when I die, I don’t mean for a brief moment, but for all of history. 150 years from now I want children to read my name in a history book and be able to know my name and what I accomplished in my life. Being remembered is something that is immensely important to me, and I have turned my fear of being forgotten into a driving ambition that is, and will continue to propel me throughout my life until I have achieved all that I can.
If no one in human history ever had the ambition needed to reign, conquer, triumph, and persevere through hardship, the world would certainly be a far different place than it is today- and probably a worse place. Almost all of the great people that society remembers were ambitious and strived to succeed; the only exceptions being those truly caught by surprise in the right place at the right time. People with this same desire for what is essentially immortality have typically brought out the worst in mankind (i.e. Hitler) but I believe that they were evil by nature and lacked the mental strength to overcome their sinister beliefs and right their wrongs. I do not worry that I will commit some terrible deed in the name of immortality because I have no such desires and I believe my mental strength to be as formidable as ever.
Having children is something that is very important to me. Somewhere down the line (far, far down the line) I want to settle down, get married and have kids. When I say kids, I want sons. I want my sons to play lacrosse and golf, to play guitar, to get good grades – essentially to be like me. Now I would say that I share the same desires as most fathers do, and that is to see their sons grow up in their father's image, and ultimately become greater than their fathers. However, the notion that a son exists only to please his father is foolish and something that every father must understand.
My father once said to me, several years ago, that if I were to die, so would the family name, because my two sisters would be unable to pass it down to their children. I had never thought about life that way until my dad pointed that out to me, and immediately the continuation of my last name became one of my life-goals. There are few things that I would love more than to know that my name and legacy have continued on for generations, and that I did my part by having sons.
Procreation is vital to humanity simply because it ensures the growth and preservation of the species. For example, the only life goal for every other creature in the animal kingdom is to reach mating age and procreate. Once offspring have been produced, the parents must pass all of their knowledge onto their younglings so that their children can repeat the process. With hominids being a species of animal as well, we can see similar patterns in humanity. The concept of parents raising their children is entirely instinctual. In fact it is because of that instinct that we naturally take pity on orphans, or feel the need to adopt other children. Before civilization, the life-goals of every human were clear: survive, mature, reproduce, and repeat. It is because of civilization that the “meaning of life” question exists, and we find ourselves confused as to our individual purpose. Religion, literature, and science are creations of man built out of the necessity to find our place in the world. The “Enkidu-ic” idea that civilization has the power to separate man from beast is proven once again.
My one life-goal that is most difficult to explain is why I want to experience a combat situation. This desire to fight or do battle I something that I know is not shared by everybody, and is very tricky to explicate without coming across as bloodthirsty or savage. The best way that I can describe this phenomenon is that it comes (for me at least) from being curious as to how I would react when my life is truly in danger, and that any action could be by last. Perhaps I see combat as the “ultimate challenge” that one can face, and by surviving it one has reached a higher level. Indeed that must be true, in part because of how we hold veterans in such high esteem in the real world. If a veteran is taken advantage in the real world the public is instantly in uproar and clamoring for justice and compensation and in doing so we elevate the status of combat veterans to a place above the average person.
Combat veterans aid humanity in the sense that their deeds provide a reference for each generation to refer to when considering their own war. If no veterans existed to share their stories, the immense sacrifice of their comrades would pass unnoticed and the reasons for their deaths come under question. Conversely, veterans can also produce the idea/illusion that wars do not result in the destruction of everyone and every thing, and that it is possible to survive combat. America must believe the latter, or else is very stubborn, because for every generation of Americans since the founding of our country has had their own conflict to join. Perhaps fighting is just part of the American spirit, born out of the frequent Indian skirmishes that plagued the first settlers in the North America. It would be reasonable to assume therefore, that as an American I have just caught the “bug” that has afflicted millions of Americans just like me.
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