Responsibilities

Today has been uneventful as one may or may not expect. In classic me fashion I may have bitten off more than I can chew with several projects running concurrently, which may actually lead me to a first. Telling someone I cannot fulfill what I had agreed to. Well not a first. Very few things can be firsts in life, most of the time I think we think things are firsts only because we’ve forgotten the actual first. Not the most eloquent of sentences, but it underscores the point. Moreover, while the use of overtly strong language may seem confident, I wonder how often it is perceived to be all a bag of hot air.

I remember a time in high school, and I promise this isn’t one of Springsteen’s glory days moments, when I was questioning my worth on the football team. I am not what you would call an athletic superstar. I am not immensely tall or large; I am not insanely fast; I do not have a 50 yard field goal kick. I played linebacker and an offensive lineman. I loved the game, but quite often I would find myself on the wrong side of a steamroller and I thought I wasn’t good enough for the team. I went to the coach after practice one day during preseason, and I beat around the bush as I often did when I was younger. I essentially ended up asking permission to quit the team because I didn’t think I added enough to it. He looked at me very seriously, he couldn’t exactly say ‘no, you can’t leave’ but by my hesitancy I am sure he knew I was hesitant. “Winning isn’t the only result that comes from football”, he said, “Character, discipline, and work ethic are all marks of a great academic athlete. That’s what you are.” We made a deal, and I promised to stay for the rest of preseason; I stayed for the rest of my high school years.

Suffice it to say, I don’t like to quit. I like to think it is a good quality, but it certainly complicates schedule making. It is time to head back to the books. I hope you have enjoyed this small reminisce. and if I may leave you with two thoughts today, the first is the introductory line of W. B. Yeats’ 1914 book of poems entitled “Responsibilities.”

In Dreams Begin Responsibilities

The second is Langston Hughs:

What happens to a dream deferred?

Recall your dreams, work towards them, and never, ever give up. I can’t tell you what the answer is to Hughs’ question, but based on his guesses, I do not think I want to find out.

Your Traveler, hitting the books.