1. I resolve to get in the shape I want to be in. To achieve this I must eat healthy foods, exercise daily, and go to the doctor in spite of my pride.
2. I resolve to read for pleasure more. To achieve this I must manage my time more efficiently.
3. I resolve to do excellently academically. To achieve this I must use all beneficial means necessary.
4. I resolve to gain fulfilling, well-paying employment. To achieve this I must finish a certification course.
5. I resolve to serve and volunteer. To achieve this I must make myself available to those who can use my services in a productive way.
6. I resolve to lead more than follow. To achieve this I must do what is necessary to earn the trust of those who have the authority to grant me positions of leadership. If none are granted to me I must create my own.
7. I resolve to act in spite of my insecurities. To achieve this I must scrape together the small bit of courage I have and throw caution to the wind.
8. I resolve to take the MCAT and do superbly on it. To prepare myself I must study past courses and improve my critical thinking skills.
9. I resolve to find a way to manage my inattentive adult ADHD.
10. Wanna ride bikes?
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Monday, December 10, 2007
Trees
I have a confession, but I have no shame in divulging it. I confess that I am a tree hugger. I have always loved trees. There are many things about them that I find endearing. I love that trees are green. I love that they are so diverse. I love that they keep such good weather records with the width of each ring. I love that my parents and their parents planted trees and I can still go and touch a piece of history as well as a family legacy. I love that trees give off so much oxygen. I love that trees provide homes for animals. I even love trees because they provide homes for us. However, I love trees best for their strength and because that strength represents years of determination and experience. If there was any one thing that I would choose to represent me, it would be a tree.
Now, there was an ice storm this past weekend that destroyed many trees in Oklahoma. Norman is chock full of trees and I have found that those trees give this city a small-town feel. The university is known for its trees because David Ross Boyd, the university's first president, planted them all over campus in an effort to make students feel more at home. Campus is a beautiful place to be because of the trees, but due to the snow storm a great many of these trees have been irrevocably damaged - many even completely destroyed. So, at first sight, the university has become a very dismal place to be simply because of the destruction of natural growth and the rearrangement of scenery that took decades to become so beautiful.
When I was younger my mother would let me decorate our Christmas tree. After I would finish the tree she would often go and move a few ornaments or lights when she thought I wasn't looking. She would rearrange the lights so the branches wouldn't seem so constricted against the trunk. She would shuffle presents underneath the bows to make the tree more beautiful. I used to think she was being a perfectionist, but what I realized with the aftermath of the storm is that while these trees have been seemingly mutilated beyond recognition, Mother Nature has found and will continue to find ways to make them beautiful again. So, what I first saw as a major setback for the beauty of campus is really just a part of life. Nothing can be so steadfast and resolute as not to be broken, but growth will always exist and these things that fought so hard to grow tall and strong will find ways to stand tall and strong again. Some of their weak spots have been attacked, but for those that remain standing they will continue to ascend and improve themselves.
Here's to standing strong and determined.
That's all for now.
Now, there was an ice storm this past weekend that destroyed many trees in Oklahoma. Norman is chock full of trees and I have found that those trees give this city a small-town feel. The university is known for its trees because David Ross Boyd, the university's first president, planted them all over campus in an effort to make students feel more at home. Campus is a beautiful place to be because of the trees, but due to the snow storm a great many of these trees have been irrevocably damaged - many even completely destroyed. So, at first sight, the university has become a very dismal place to be simply because of the destruction of natural growth and the rearrangement of scenery that took decades to become so beautiful.
When I was younger my mother would let me decorate our Christmas tree. After I would finish the tree she would often go and move a few ornaments or lights when she thought I wasn't looking. She would rearrange the lights so the branches wouldn't seem so constricted against the trunk. She would shuffle presents underneath the bows to make the tree more beautiful. I used to think she was being a perfectionist, but what I realized with the aftermath of the storm is that while these trees have been seemingly mutilated beyond recognition, Mother Nature has found and will continue to find ways to make them beautiful again. So, what I first saw as a major setback for the beauty of campus is really just a part of life. Nothing can be so steadfast and resolute as not to be broken, but growth will always exist and these things that fought so hard to grow tall and strong will find ways to stand tall and strong again. Some of their weak spots have been attacked, but for those that remain standing they will continue to ascend and improve themselves.
Here's to standing strong and determined.
That's all for now.
Monday, December 3, 2007
Thanks, USA!
I am an exceptional person. I don't mean to sound conceited. I'm just trying to point out that I don't think I'm average or mediocre in any way. I enjoy life, but the Man has me down.
My disappointment lies with my government. Due to government requirements and bureaucratic red tape, I am treated unequally from my peers and those who are pursuing the same career as I am. I have always had difficulty learning using the system high schools and universities implement. I always knew I had a more difficult time than most and until recently I didn't know that my problem was out of my control. I was diagnosed with Severe Inattentive Adult ADHD last month. My health insurance conveniently decided not to pay for the treatment of my learning disparity and because I was diagnosed while under this insurance plan other insurance companies will not provide compensation for treatment because I have "a pre-existing condition." Insurance through the university will not provide for it and Disability Services (although I don't consider myself disabled) will not give me student benefits unless I am treated. I can't afford $300+ per month of medication nor the $75 monthly fee from the doctor. So, because I can afford neither appropriate health insurance nor treatment, I am effectively being punished for a difference in learning styles . My government has failed me. If I was considered a person of color I would be given a special dispensation on my insurance and through the university. What happened to all men being created equal?
Boo-hoo for the middle class white boy, right? There's a serious problem with America. Equality exists only for those who have the money. I'm going to become a citizen of Mexico and then illegally immigrate back into the states because the US government will take better care of me as an illegal alien than as a tax-paying, law-abiding, voting citizen.
Thanks a lot, USA.
My disappointment lies with my government. Due to government requirements and bureaucratic red tape, I am treated unequally from my peers and those who are pursuing the same career as I am. I have always had difficulty learning using the system high schools and universities implement. I always knew I had a more difficult time than most and until recently I didn't know that my problem was out of my control. I was diagnosed with Severe Inattentive Adult ADHD last month. My health insurance conveniently decided not to pay for the treatment of my learning disparity and because I was diagnosed while under this insurance plan other insurance companies will not provide compensation for treatment because I have "a pre-existing condition." Insurance through the university will not provide for it and Disability Services (although I don't consider myself disabled) will not give me student benefits unless I am treated. I can't afford $300+ per month of medication nor the $75 monthly fee from the doctor. So, because I can afford neither appropriate health insurance nor treatment, I am effectively being punished for a difference in learning styles . My government has failed me. If I was considered a person of color I would be given a special dispensation on my insurance and through the university. What happened to all men being created equal?
Boo-hoo for the middle class white boy, right? There's a serious problem with America. Equality exists only for those who have the money. I'm going to become a citizen of Mexico and then illegally immigrate back into the states because the US government will take better care of me as an illegal alien than as a tax-paying, law-abiding, voting citizen.
Thanks a lot, USA.
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