My Life, The Cliffhanger

Three and a half years and counting, much, much too quickly.

Less than one hundred days and I will  be pulled from the safety and comfort of the growlery, and flung into the terrors of the "real" world. Whatever that means.

Ok, so, generally, that means the work world. But, as every liberally-educated (that is, educated in the liberal arts, not politically left) individual has experienced or is experiencing or will experience, the liberal arts education leaves its students feeling ... odd. Abnormal. Out of place. Bursting with understanding but with little practical knowledge of the world.

To dig I am unable, to flip burgers I am ashamed. What the mongoose am I going to do with my life?! 

Artes liberales, what have you left me fit for? It's the Pygmalion problem: having had such high-and-mighty, theoretical, abstract concepts meticulously infused into my brain, I find it difficult to stretch my toes down and touch the solid ground again. After surrounding myself with some of the most intelligent minds on the planet, how am I supposed to learn to make small talk? Here at college, we discuss Aristotle at the breakfast table, for pity's sake. How do I know what a commute is like, or how such-and-such a brand of suit is better than another, or the difference between a CEO and a CFO and a COO? Are they business positions or chemical compounds, after all?

*sigh*

I find that many of my friends are dealing with the same confusion and chaos. Few of them know exactly what they are doing with their lives, either. We all have vague, lofty dreams of how we want to change the world, but none of us seem to know any practical way of making that happen. Yet.

My theory is, this is where patience, perseverance, and a little common sense come into play. We study the humanities because it tells us how people think, how they act, what they want, how they feel. It gives us insight into the human psyche, rendering ambiguous actions and words more comprehensible. Having this ability gives us the opportunity not only to do a job, but to do it well. We are able to perform well at not just any job, but every job. This sometimes makes career decisions difficult, but whatever path we choose, we should be able to make leaps and bounds towards any goal.

Any goal.

With Austen, adjectives, and the ancillary character, I will conquer the world.

Hooah!

Lord, grant me patience, perseverance, and a little common sense.