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theis223 · 10-01-2013, 01:24

I decided to write an essay for my school's newspaper but didn't have the balls to send it in when i initially wrote it. As a senior in college in the middle of my 'on-deck' semester [that was a midwest wrestling reference], and as a student of political science and philosophy, i've had to write quite a few papers. I wrote all of those for an objective that was defined by an authority that was exterior to myself; that being of my professors and course work requirements. I had always wondered what it would be like to write something for no reason at all, or at least of my own authority. What im trying to say is that i decided to try (and succeeded) at answering my own question.

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The power of a “?”

What is a question? Have you ever asked yourself that question or wondered about the power of it? We ask them every day, in our heads, in our hearts and in our lives. More often than not the answers to these questions, both spoken and unspoken, have a very real very direct impact on the direction and circumstances of our lives. In fact, the questions we ask of ourselves and of life are often more important than the answers we find.

I had a wonderful conversation today with a friend about a very common problem that most students seem to have but very few ever bother to solve. I am a super senior; therefore I have had many years of hearing the same questions asked but hardly ever answered: “why can’t my professor write so that I can read it?” Or its close relative: “why can’t my professor speak so that I can understand them?” At one point or another I am sure that every single student has had these frustrations, and freshmen you will experience this soon enough. My question to all of you is what are you going to do about it?

The situation that I have just described is an integral part of college, and the dirty little secret is that it is an integral part of life. Questions and problems are, if you think about it, one and the same. They are opportunities to learn and to grow as a person, as a university, and as a society.

Have you ever noticed (and college kids are some of the worst offenders of this) how more often than not when people complain about something to someone, more often than not it is to someone that cannot actually do anything to fix their problem? Why is this? Well the answer is simple: fear. Fear of the unknown, fear of being laughed at for asking a silly question, or even fear of finding out something you already knew. Why fear? Because it’s easy. It’s easier to just whine and complain to someone else instead of taking it upon yourself to answer your own questions and discover something that you can actually believe in and do something about.

The questions we ask are important—those we ask of ourselves, of our teachers, our spouses, our friends, our children, our employers,.... even our enemies. the trick is to ask the right questions the right way. The temptation is to despise or hate the questions and the uncertainty they represent. When I think about uncertainty, I like to see it as a gift or even a grace that comes from the love of learning. An appreciation of and for uncertainty, i have found, is one of the best of life's simple pleasures. It is also the spice of life, it keeps things interesting. So bearing all of this in mind and going back to the professor’s difficulty to communicate and the student's difficulty to understand them; what I told my friend to do was the same thing I am inviting everyone that is reading this to do: ask a question.

On a final note, have you ever wondered why clichés are clichés? They are clichés because they are the default truth. Allow me to leave you with a one of the most powerful and beautiful clichés known to man.

Ask and ye shall receive.

Never be afraid to ask, how else will you discover the power of a “?”

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My happy thought of the day came after a friend of mine proof read this and for some reason or another liked it enough to the point that he went and submitted it to my school's news paper. Remember that i didn't have the balls to do it myself. I have quietly always wanted to write a OpEd column for years but just never could find the time to sit down and give it an honest shot. Now i may just get the chance and all thanks to good friends.The funny thing is even if it isnt liked or received well, i'm glad i tried something new today.

10-01-2013, 01:24	#1165
theis223 Guerrilla Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Superior's Lakeside. Posts: 125	I decided to try something new today... I decided to write an essay for my school's newspaper but didn't have the balls to send it in when i initially wrote it. As a senior in college in the middle of my 'on-deck' semester [that was a midwest wrestling reference], and as a student of political science and philosophy, i've had to write quite a few papers. I wrote all of those for an objective that was defined by an authority that was exterior to myself; that being of my professors and course work requirements. I had always wondered what it would be like to write something for no reason at all, or at least of my own authority. What im trying to say is that i decided to try (and succeeded) at answering my own question. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The power of a “?” What is a question? Have you ever asked yourself that question or wondered about the power of it? We ask them every day, in our heads, in our hearts and in our lives. More often than not the answers to these questions, both spoken and unspoken, have a very real very direct impact on the direction and circumstances of our lives. In fact, the questions we ask of ourselves and of life are often more important than the answers we find. I had a wonderful conversation today with a friend about a very common problem that most students seem to have but very few ever bother to solve. I am a super senior; therefore I have had many years of hearing the same questions asked but hardly ever answered: “why can’t my professor write so that I can read it?” Or its close relative: “why can’t my professor speak so that I can understand them?” At one point or another I am sure that every single student has had these frustrations, and freshmen you will experience this soon enough. My question to all of you is what are you going to do about it? The situation that I have just described is an integral part of college, and the dirty little secret is that it is an integral part of life. Questions and problems are, if you think about it, one and the same. They are opportunities to learn and to grow as a person, as a university, and as a society. Have you ever noticed (and college kids are some of the worst offenders of this) how more often than not when people complain about something to someone, more often than not it is to someone that cannot actually do anything to fix their problem? Why is this? Well the answer is simple: fear. Fear of the unknown, fear of being laughed at for asking a silly question, or even fear of finding out something you already knew. Why fear? Because it’s easy. It’s easier to just whine and complain to someone else instead of taking it upon yourself to answer your own questions and discover something that you can actually believe in and do something about. The questions we ask are important—those we ask of ourselves, of our teachers, our spouses, our friends, our children, our employers,.... even our enemies. the trick is to ask the right questions the right way. The temptation is to despise or hate the questions and the uncertainty they represent. When I think about uncertainty, I like to see it as a gift or even a grace that comes from the love of learning. An appreciation of and for uncertainty, i have found, is one of the best of life's simple pleasures. It is also the spice of life, it keeps things interesting. So bearing all of this in mind and going back to the professor’s difficulty to communicate and the student's difficulty to understand them; what I told my friend to do was the same thing I am inviting everyone that is reading this to do: ask a question. On a final note, have you ever wondered why clichés are clichés? They are clichés because they are the default truth. Allow me to leave you with a one of the most powerful and beautiful clichés known to man. *Ask and ye shall receive.* Never be afraid to ask, how else will you discover the power of a “?” ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- My happy thought of the day came after a friend of mine proof read this and for some reason or another liked it enough to the point that he went and submitted it to my school's news paper. Remember that i didn't have the balls to do it myself. I have quietly always wanted to write a OpEd column for years but just never could find the time to sit down and give it an honest shot. Now i may just get the chance and all thanks to good friends.The funny thing is even if it isnt liked or received well, i'm glad i tried something new today. __________________ ...a leader should strive to be an individual of flawless character, technical competence, and moral courage….You start with a cornerstone—honesty—and from there you build character. If you have character, that means the guy you are dealing with can trust you….Character provides a leader with a moral compass that focuses his efforts on the values we cherish: courage, honesty, selflessness, and respect for our fellow man… SAMUEL W. FLOCA JR. Colonel, USA, Retired Courtesy of QP Snaquebite Last edited by theis223; 10-01-2013 at 01:31.
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