Driven to be...

Wow.  What a week.  I was juggling a huge Public Relations midterm, a poetry analysis paper, a column for my Media Writing class, a fairly big report for my focus group research project, three-hour symphony rehearsals, composing “non-acceptance” letters for the journal I work for…what else?  Oh, and trying to maintain a social life.  So basically, I had no room to breathe.  I was so busy that, a few days ago, I went almost the entire day without eating or sleeping.

I know what you’re thinking.  “You’re nuts.  Crazy.  Do you ever stop to take a breath?  Do you actually enjoy your life?”

To be honest, no, I don’t stop to breathe, and yes, I love it.  I thrive as a workaholic.  There’s no other way I would rather spend my life.   

Again, I know what you’re thinking, and there’s no other way to say it: “You are bat-shooey insane.”

Judge me, call me a nerd, dork, geek, whatever you want, but that’s how I live my life.  I am constantly working on something, whether it is school-related or not.  Believe me, I’ve heard it my whole life, even from my own family.  For example, this conversation took place between me and my grandmother last Christmas:

Setting- I am seated on the couch in my grandparents’ living room curled up with my Snuggie, my grandparents’ obnoxiously lovable but stupid dog Dixie, and my brand new German For Dummies book.  My grandmother walks in and takes a seat next to me.  She notes the book I am holding.

“German?  Why are you learning German?”

“I think it’d be fun.  I like learning new languages.”

“You’re on break from school.  Why are you doing anything remotely academic?”

“Languages are fun, Nana.”

My grandmother sighs and shakes her head.

“People like you need a real hobby.”

And the best part?  Her remark didn’t even faze me.  I hear stuff like that all the time.  I guess you can say I’ve built up immunity to such comments.  Others call me crazy, insane, workaholic, what have you.  I have a different term…

Driven.

That’s right.  I’m driven.  Driven to be successful.  Driven to learn everything I can about everything that piques my interests.  Driven to embrace every opportunity that comes to me.  Driven to put my best work and effort into those opportunities.  Perhaps you could say I’m driven to…perfection?

I set high standards for myself.  When I feel like I don’t meet them, I push myself even harder.  Right now my “standards” are set with the goal of going to Cambridge University for my Master’s Degree.  Yeah, I know, Cambridge is one of the top universities in the entire world, and it’d take a miracle and a half for someone like me to be accepted.  But what’s going to stop me?  Nothing.  I’m working my rear off at VT, striving for my best.  My lowest GPA thus far has been a 3.4, and I intend on keeping it that way.  I’ll need it if I want a chance at getting into Cambridge.

So now you may ask, “what do you do for fun?”

Haven’t I already answered that?  I learn new stuff.

So before you call me crazy again (as Will Smith would say, “call me crazy one more time…”), just remember one simple thing…

I take that as a compliment.