"What do you want to be when you grow up?"
This question has prodded me for years, thrust upon me at dinner parties or family reunions. Throughout my life, I have been pressured to pare and sharpen my dreams like woodcarvings or prison toothbrush knives.
I have always been reluctant to whittle, eager to demonstrate that following one path need not preclude me from seeking my other passions. After far too many awkward queries, I've settled on a final, perfect answer to The Question: I want to be a contestant on Jeopardy!
It sounds odd, I realize, but bear with me: Jeopardy! offers precisely the all-encompassing future which I seek. Its grab bag topics range from Potpourri to 15th Century French Art, from the easily accessible to the stunningly esoteric. It is punishing yet rewarding, a perfect showcase of skill at quick critical thinking and information recall.
My parents fostered in me a love of Jeopardy! and all it represents from an early age. I would play from home, slapping the arm of my sofa in order to ring in with my response. As I racked up the imaginary dollars I began to see myself as a miniature Ken Jennings, filling my parents' retirement account one Geography clue at a time.
Unfortunately, Jeopardy! isn't a very practical career path unless your parents are covering room and board. Decent players last at most a few games and make about one year's income - if they're lucky. So while I've dropped my plan to rely on game show winnings to support me, I have tried to let Jeopardy! guide me in my search for a future.
Years of imagining myself standing behind that blue podium conditioned me to be inquisitive. Seeking truth in its purest form, I realize that it is not enough for me merely to accept that which I am told. I search for the common thread that sews my different spheres of influence together, responding to every answer I am given in the form of a question.
What is Plasmodium falciparum? What is the key to fixing the disparity in malaria rates between developed and developing nations?
What is American Exceptionalism? Who is going to lead the fight to define the United States as a positive member of the global economy and culture?
These are my $2000 problems, the epic-scale puzzles that no one person can hope to complete on their own. I hope to be a part of the quest to solve them, adding my unique insights to contribute to something larger than myself.
My evenings questing for enlightenment from the comfort of my sofa have taught me that no knowledge is insignificant. Though I still do not know exactly what I want to be when I grow up, I remain confident that a wide range of skills, utilized in a global state of mind, will lead me toward a positive future. Whether it gains me a $3,000 Daily Double, saves the world, or helps me to answer that awkward dinner party question, everything I learn lends me the confidence to define myself in the context of my ever-sharpening world.
This question has prodded me for years, thrust upon me at dinner parties or family reunions. Throughout my life, I have been pressured to pare and sharpen my dreams like woodcarvings or prison toothbrush knives.
I have always been reluctant to whittle, eager to demonstrate that following one path need not preclude me from seeking my other passions. After far too many awkward queries, I've settled on a final, perfect answer to The Question: I want to be a contestant on Jeopardy!
It sounds odd, I realize, but bear with me: Jeopardy! offers precisely the all-encompassing future which I seek. Its grab bag topics range from Potpourri to 15th Century French Art, from the easily accessible to the stunningly esoteric. It is punishing yet rewarding, a perfect showcase of skill at quick critical thinking and information recall.
My parents fostered in me a love of Jeopardy! and all it represents from an early age. I would play from home, slapping the arm of my sofa in order to ring in with my response. As I racked up the imaginary dollars I began to see myself as a miniature Ken Jennings, filling my parents' retirement account one Geography clue at a time.
Unfortunately, Jeopardy! isn't a very practical career path unless your parents are covering room and board. Decent players last at most a few games and make about one year's income - if they're lucky. So while I've dropped my plan to rely on game show winnings to support me, I have tried to let Jeopardy! guide me in my search for a future.
Years of imagining myself standing behind that blue podium conditioned me to be inquisitive. Seeking truth in its purest form, I realize that it is not enough for me merely to accept that which I am told. I search for the common thread that sews my different spheres of influence together, responding to every answer I am given in the form of a question.
What is Plasmodium falciparum? What is the key to fixing the disparity in malaria rates between developed and developing nations?
What is American Exceptionalism? Who is going to lead the fight to define the United States as a positive member of the global economy and culture?
These are my $2000 problems, the epic-scale puzzles that no one person can hope to complete on their own. I hope to be a part of the quest to solve them, adding my unique insights to contribute to something larger than myself.
My evenings questing for enlightenment from the comfort of my sofa have taught me that no knowledge is insignificant. Though I still do not know exactly what I want to be when I grow up, I remain confident that a wide range of skills, utilized in a global state of mind, will lead me toward a positive future. Whether it gains me a $3,000 Daily Double, saves the world, or helps me to answer that awkward dinner party question, everything I learn lends me the confidence to define myself in the context of my ever-sharpening world.