Project Exodus

This is a story that’s the sum total of a lot of thoughts that have been rolling around in my head for a good long while now, so settle down boys and girls it’s story time.

Way back in… Sophomore year I think we played a game in drama. One person was “it” they then left the room, and another person was chosen from the group to be the mark. The person who was it would ask “If this person were a blank what kind of blank would they be” style questions and try to guess who it was. I actually did quite well at this game because I knew that if I asked something strange that person would usually look towards the mark in order to think about it. That’s not the point though. When I was the mark and Mr. D was it, he asked of Chase “If this person were a profession, what profession would they be.” It may not have been that exactly, but it was something close. I was universally agreed to be the schools mysterious person, which I, in my role as the Patron Saint, loved because it meant that I was well known for being mysterious. Chase’s response was a great example of Chase’s insight, he said “Alternative Medicine.” If I can isolate a single day where I began considering that as a career I’d have to say it was that one.

The problem is that as much as I am a mystic, and I assure you that part of me will always come first, I’m also a scientist, and an embittered harsh realist. I’ve always liked alternative medicine, but I’m quite clear on the knowledge that there is a dividing line. If you have cancer you’re going to need the advanced science of Western medicine. If you have a cold I know a way to cure it using steam and a few select herbs. If your problem is psychosomatic, western medicine won’t help you.

While I do have some knowledge in both fields already I don’t know enough to say that I’m qualified in either. I also feel that if I’m going to go into alternative medicine I should have a background in scientific medicine. One thing I’ve always said about mysticism, something that has annoyed more then a few of my fellow mystics, is that you can’t rely on it.

I’ve also been thinking about the other careers. I’m growing gradually less and less content with engineering. I can’t properly put this into words yet, but when I dropped math I had a sense of liberation from some predestined point, I was able to look at this problem and have a true sense of freedom about it, and I’m not sure engineering is what I want. I also don’t think an English degree is what I’m after. I enjoy writing, I’d like to take a few creative writing classes, but it’s not something I’d put 4 years of my life in to.

I’m also beginning to think more and more then taking time off would be good. I stick by my theory that everyone should take a gap year, but it’s a bit late for that, so I figure I’ll just take mine mid college. My original plan was to take it after sophomore year, but my father raised an interesting question.

Why Wait?

It’s those simple little questions that always get you ya’know? I didn’t have a good answer for it either. The more I think about it, it may be a better idea to take my year off during exodus year two. I’d prefer to do it out of the house, and probably in Seattle as well.

So what am I going to do? I’ll need a job. I’ll need an apartment. I may continue to take one class a quarter, tuition is based on number of classes taken anyway so this won’t be a big setback in any way.

Eh… it’s just thinking for now. I’ll get to some legitimate thought on the subject later. It’s not a definite plan, but it seems more and more likely that it’ll be my degree. Phram. D. That is.