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| Joel Ben Thomas Class of 2015 |
Patience. My mother always told me it’s a virtue—one should you should practice daily. Now, probably more than any other time in my young life, this advice couldn’t be more pertinent.
Over the past several months, I’ve worked tirelessly to submit applications for post undergraduate opportunities involving everything from international travel to internships leading to job opportunities (yikes!). Countless hours spent on late nights and weekend afternoons have been devoted to ensuring that I don’t find myself stuck at the end of my undergraduate career. Whether I take a job in Louisville for the next year, or whether I spend a year in Egypt interning at the American University in Cairo, I want to have choices.
And while I’m certainly not finished with applications, I recognize that I’m approaching the time where I have nothing left to do but wait—to wait on the results of these applications and the opportunities that arise. This change in behavior is somewhat hard to take given my effort over the past couple of months. Nonetheless, there’s nothing to do but embrace the period ahead and make every effort to be patient. I’m a little restless because of this.
It’s funny because my attitude towards applications and have choices at the end of this semester align somewhat closely with the Horse in Chinese Mythology. The Horse, known for its fleeting personality, is said to be talkative, stubborn, and easily distracted. But perhaps the Horse’s most striking quality is impatience. Though my Chinese Zodiac symbol isn’t the Horse—it’s the Monkey, actually—my behavior as of late certainly resembles the Horse. While I’ve made every effort to focus on applications and the opportunities ahead of me, I’m impatient and slightly anxious about what will happen next. For these reasons, I think it’s safe to say that the Year of the Horse has had an impact on me.
It’s funny because my attitude towards applications and have choices at the end of this semester align somewhat closely with the Horse in Chinese Mythology. The Horse, known for its fleeting personality, is said to be talkative, stubborn, and easily distracted. But perhaps the Horse’s most striking quality is impatience. Though my Chinese Zodiac symbol isn’t the Horse—it’s the Monkey, actually—my behavior as of late certainly resembles the Horse. While I’ve made every effort to focus on applications and the opportunities ahead of me, I’m impatient and slightly anxious about what will happen next. For these reasons, I think it’s safe to say that the Year of the Horse has had an impact on me.
Perhaps I should be reassured by the fact the Year of the Goat is fast approaching (set to begin on Thursday, February 19th). The Goat in Chinese Mythology is thought to love peace and to be helpful and trusting. In addition to some patience, I think I’ll need some trust and peace for the time ahead as well. Thankfully, I’m not alone.
Joel Ben Thomas is a senior McConnell Scholar at the University of Louisville. He studies anthropology, political science, and economics.