So here's the break down. After playing "tag" with a couple bad-guys on the streets tonight, I swung by my fraternity house to attend rush. And if I'm going to be guaranteed a little brother, I need to attend rush. Lately things have been coming up and I haven't been able to attend rush. With my flaking streak, I did all I could to make it out there. Tonight was a poker tournament. I don't play poker. Well, I don't play poker well. So I just floated around catching up with some brothers and talking to rushes when they got knocked out or during a break. Afterwards, I head over to my friends' house and hung out for a half-hour before I made my way back home. When I got back, I found my parents just sitting in the kitchen watching TV together.
I told them about a job opening as a hospital patient transporter out near campus. They'd be happy, right? They were. And then I told them about my plans to still take the EMT training course here near home. And that's when the shit hit the fan.
They couldn't see why I would want to that. If a place offers me a job, I should take it: with full-availability. Taking this EMT course could lessen my chances of landing that job by limiting my availability to work there. They don't see why I would want to become an EMT. They felt that I was just sabotaging my chances and not moving forward with my life.
But here's what I didn't tell them. I admit, I could take this EMT course anywhere. Fresh "out of college" near campus or at a city hospital. But I didn't. I decided to get certified near home. I wanted to do this because I wanted to be there for my mom and dad. My brother is three hours away at another college and I know how lonely my mom can get. I'm here near home. And I feel like it's my responsibility as their son to take care of them and not leave them alone. I'm not sabotaging my future. I admit, I feel I have to make motions to move forward in life. But I can't let myself do that and leave my parents alone in an empty house. I'm their son. I should be there. But I didn't tell them that. I just nodded my head and walked away. I figured it was best that they didn't know. After all, I wouldn't want them to think that they were holding me back.
They're not. They're pushing me forward.
After getting some fresh air, and the 9/11 Tribute of Lights lighting up the night sky, I began seeing my parents in a different light. Maybe it's not that they're stronger than I thought they were, but that I thought they weren't that strong to begin with.
Strength. True strength. A strength that does not come from an origin of an alien race or some radioactive spider bite.
But comes from the people around you who believe in you more than life itself. That's not love. That's ferocity.
I told them about a job opening as a hospital patient transporter out near campus. They'd be happy, right? They were. And then I told them about my plans to still take the EMT training course here near home. And that's when the shit hit the fan.
They couldn't see why I would want to that. If a place offers me a job, I should take it: with full-availability. Taking this EMT course could lessen my chances of landing that job by limiting my availability to work there. They don't see why I would want to become an EMT. They felt that I was just sabotaging my chances and not moving forward with my life.
But here's what I didn't tell them. I admit, I could take this EMT course anywhere. Fresh "out of college" near campus or at a city hospital. But I didn't. I decided to get certified near home. I wanted to do this because I wanted to be there for my mom and dad. My brother is three hours away at another college and I know how lonely my mom can get. I'm here near home. And I feel like it's my responsibility as their son to take care of them and not leave them alone. I'm not sabotaging my future. I admit, I feel I have to make motions to move forward in life. But I can't let myself do that and leave my parents alone in an empty house. I'm their son. I should be there. But I didn't tell them that. I just nodded my head and walked away. I figured it was best that they didn't know. After all, I wouldn't want them to think that they were holding me back.
They're not. They're pushing me forward.
After getting some fresh air, and the 9/11 Tribute of Lights lighting up the night sky, I began seeing my parents in a different light. Maybe it's not that they're stronger than I thought they were, but that I thought they weren't that strong to begin with.
Strength. True strength. A strength that does not come from an origin of an alien race or some radioactive spider bite.
But comes from the people around you who believe in you more than life itself. That's not love. That's ferocity.
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