Finally, I applied to one of my roommates, more sagacious than the rest, for advice. Dave, I said. Im broke and without prospects. Ive blown my GI Bill on flying lessons. I cant hide out here in college much longer. What should I do?Well, he said, at this crucial juncture you need to coldly appraise yourself. Ive only known you these few short years, but it strikes me you wouldnt be good for anything important; Id have to say youre lazy, self-absorbed, glib and facetious, always ready to mock the suggestions of others, but never offering anything positive of your own. Intellectually shallow, no tap root anywhere, spiritually neutered, without feeling or compassion, unsteady of focus, lacking the fortitude for the long pull, with no fixed belief in anything.I shook his hand and thanked him. The acuity of his analysis made my path clear. My only hope lay in daily journalism.
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Themes
- Work — The value of effort, discipline, and meaningful labour