flavorful hookah….representin’ Queens
MAJOR: psychology and sociology
Course: Caring about the common good
I recently picked up a book called The End of Poverty, “Economic Possibilities for Our Time.” A few things struck me about this title. First, the idea of ending poverty sounds like the noblest of all things. No more hunger. No more people dying of thirst. No more people lacking access to adequate health care. The end of poverty.
Wow…right? Seems like some pretty inspiring stuff. I mean, who would be against ending poverty?
Then I thought about the second part of the title, “economic possibilities for our time,” and the thought dawned on me how this book is just a small piece of a massive webbed together puzzle. This book is simply addressing economics, or put another way, the allocation of wealth and resources on the planet. Imagine the book was to become truth more than just prescription, and we were now living in a world where there was no poverty, a world where we could look back and say, “yup, and that was the end of poverty.”
I think what we’d quickly realize is that we can’t escape from some of our other human ailments. What we need are books addressing, “The End of Depression: psychological possibilities for our time,” and “The End of Boredom and Loneliness: social possibilities for our time,” and “The End of Bad Writing: communication possibilities for our time,” and even, “The End of Irony: logical possibilities for our time.”
On a different note, I began thinking recently how as we grow as human beings, we also shed layers. I was recently updating my resume, and was relieved to learn that having secured some real life working experience, it’s no longer necessary to include my GPA on my resume. In a few years, my resume will begin to drop off some of my less meaningful work experiences, while expanding on the more current and important ones.
I feel like I’m finally stepping out of the skin of being a college student, and into this new skin as a working man. The realization that I am now working to create money for my retirement, and in order to receive health insurance, and to save up so I can find affordable housing, are now ingrained in me. With age, comes new feelings of confidence as I look back, as well as new fears looking forward. To think, the world of raising a family is still on the distant horizon.
I sometimes look at the obituaries to see the accomplishments of those who have recently passed away. One thing that struck me, was how the pictures used of someone who died at 78, might be a picture of them when they were much younger, for example, when they were 43. It’s funny to me to think that a picture of someone at 43 can represent someone as a child compared to their real age. Which makes me think we’re always children. It’s impossible to be old, when in just a few years you will see how youthful you just were.
Right now, you’re the oldest you’ve ever been.
Right now, you’re also the youngest you’ll ever be again.
So waddya think about that?
