As we journey from adolescence, through high school, and into the soul-searching collegiate era of life, we formulate our own version of a honey-glazed “what I want to be when I’m older.” Many of us are persuaded by the glamor, prestige, financial stability, flexibility, or simply by the only thing we know how to do. For myself, I knew I wanted a career where my mental fibers would stay firm, my time would be worth enough to provide for a healthy home, my weekdays would end with a taste of fulfillment, and I could give my family the time and attention they deserve.
At the moment, the road through SCO resembles the agony of Sisyphus and his longing to cross over the forever-fading peak. I see the upperclassmen, all-smiles as they wear the hope of a tasseled cap throughout the clinic. How grand it must be to savor near victory? But even with this motivation, the looming days remain daunting, which can only mean we are what we should be… human. But a brighter future is there even when we can’t see it.
The daily grind in this modern age seems to drain me more than the ruthless humidity of past high school afternoons. On many evenings, I feel like a wave tossed about on the ocean surf… longing for the shore and hopeful for steady ground. But in this understanding, I have found that the heaviest yoke of the day results in the softest bed at night. When our efforts seem exhausted is also when we are the most open to change. I believe in change, in forward motion, in pursuing a calling, in surrendering your status quo…
Before my endeavors here at SCO, I was unaware of the many aspects leaving home had to offer; some wonderful, some difficult. Without a hint of doubt, this present journey has been one of transformation and sanctification. The personal development and insight that has come so unexpectedly, reminds me how much we learn when we are pushed to the precipice. But to gain these innovative qualities we must sacrifice, something that isn’t easy. Our backbones solidify with every ounce of dripping effort required of us, which prepares us for the “real world.”
My personal struggles are slowly becoming illuminated verities. A longing for home and its sweet familiarity, the weight of a long distance relationship, and the hardest mental push of my life have radical developed my “What I want to be…” into “Who I want be…” What you are doesn’t matter as much as who you are. This truth will never leave my mind.
Even with my life residing in Memphis, and my heart still back in the Georgia clay, I can’t say that I regret coming here. These are the days that produce perseverance and professionalism deeper than our white coats. The difficulties of the present will multiply happiness in the future. I stand confident in my decision to continue pushing hard, and I hope that you can say the same about your life, here and now.
