bienvenue au blog, Alexis!

Keegs, (do people call you Keegs? or is that one of those annoying nicknames? as someone who never had a nickname, I don't get those things) I just watched Fight Club so I feel like now is a good time to answer your question. I've never been in a fight--and frankly physical discomfort is not one of my strong suits--but I like to think that if I were ever in a survival situation, I would rise to the occasion. isn't that awful? sometimes I really hate living in a place and way that never tests me that way. and that's awful too, and ungrateful. Rafie (did you go to that job interview? do you have a gun now?), I think you have a definite point with the real-life fight club thing. our present society, the concept of "civilization," is all about repressing primal urges in favor of other, supposedly higher pursuits, but we're fooling ourselves if we don't think we're still governed by those same instincts.

Alexis (are you ready for college? I forget, do you have siblings?), you made some excellent points about the NBA mindframe that I've seen all over public schools for many years. what do you think is the alternative? some kids pour themselves into sports the way they never would into school. if they feel about education the way I feel about sports--a raw terror, fear of embarassment, the feeling that you're so far behind you'll never catch up--I can understand why it's easy to give up, pursue something else that looks more promising. maybe well-roundedness isn't for everyone? or maybe we all just need to push ourselves in different directions.

Rima (how did your year go? were you able to pursue all that extracurricular stuff you wanted to do?), I may or may not be going to POST. it's kind of complicated right now. as soon as I know, I'll tell you what my travel plans are. how are yours going?

Tosin (are you back with your family now? how are they?), what say we start an ex-TASPer fight club? next time you see me, feel free to punch me in the face.

everyone: I want to do Peace Corps after college. is relief work condescending or what? because I feel like it is, but I also feel like if it helps, does it matter? I'm not sure it's possible to help anyone else for purely unselfish reasons. what do you guys think?