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Outside the box

What box, you ask? Why the one in which we tend to reside until we're forced to move out of it. It's comfy and warm and familiar in there, and we believe that nothing bad can happen to us while we're safely ensconced in its comfort.

We're delusional, but that's another conversation entirely.

Anyway, the other day as I was hitting one of my 'absolutely nothing is getting into this brain until I go for a run' phases and decided to take a study break, I realized something.

If we're comfortable, we're generally not growing. In any way.

If we're shielded from life, we're never forced to participate and resolve issues that arise continually in the presence of others.

Case in point. Two fellow students, both considerably younger than me (like in their mid twenties), observed in class the other day. They were talking about how anyone who is serious goes to school and only school, and does nothing but 'immerse' in the experience of transforming from a civilian to a DOM.

They're academic purists. And truly, kind of a pain in the ass to be around because they talk about dedicating enormous amounts of time to studying, like HUGE amounts, and I think to myself....'and they only got one point better than I did on that last exam...so..what does that actually mean??'

It means they are comfortable in their academic cocoons, and that their experience dealing with life's difficulties (um, patients anyone???), is nonexistent. I've seen them react in the face of perceived confrontation, and they both default to petty and nasty and clearly lose their bearings when their uber clear perception of reality doesn't materialize. It isn't pretty, trust me.

Ahem.

Alrighty then. If there's one thing I know from living all these years and working so much, out front, with lots of people from all different backgrounds? Anything predictable is an anomaly, and comfort is an illusion. And academia is a great place to hide from real life, indefinitely.

I don't know if this represents a milestone in my journey, of it's just a 'duh', but I have to believe that the balancing act between work, real life, and school....is part of the lesson, here. I really do.


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