Zen Pencils by Gavin Aung Than for May 19, 2014
May 12, 2014
May 26, 2014
Transcript:
I am graduating. I should look at this as a positive experience, especially being at the top of my class. However, in retrospect, I cannot say that I am any more intelligent that my peers. I can attest that I am only the best at doing what I am told and working the system. Yet, here I stand, and I am supposed to be proud that I have completed this period of indoctrination. I will leave in the fall to go on the next phase expected to me, in order to receive a paper document that certifies that I am capable of work. But I contest that I am a human being. A thinker, an adventurer-not a worker. A worker is someone who is trapped within repetition. A slave of the system set up before him. But now, I have successfully shown that I was the best slave. I did what I was told to the extreme. While others sat in class and doodled to later become great artists, I sat in class to take notes, and become a great test-taker. While others would come to class without their homework because they were reading about an interest of theirs I never missed an assignment. While others were creating music and writing lyrics, I decided to do extra credit. Even though I never needed it. I wonder, why did I even want this position? Sure, I earned it. But what will come of it? When I leave educational institutionalism, will I be successful? Or forever lost? I have no clue about what I want to do with my life. I have no interests because I saw every subject of study as work, and I excelled at every subject for the purpose of excelling, not learning. And white frankly now I'm scared. -Erica Goldson
comixluver over 10 years ago
Too true. Just because I can write a good test doesn’t mean I have a life!
MeGoNow Premium Member over 10 years ago
You can excel and be a free spirit. You can “do as you will” and be merely a slave to slackdom with futile wishing. The class doodler is as much a robot as the depicted robot, for they are not only wasting the space but failing to pursue the dream. Don’t whine about the “system” or the “institution” when it’s you who didn’t come to it as a person awake. It’s not the job of the public schools, the university, the temple, your parents, or even the master to bring you awake. That’s your job. And if you do your job, neither the schools nor the master will corrupt you.
A swing and a miss for Zen Pencils.
ziggman14304 over 10 years ago
This also applies to the workaholics, who upon retirement , have no idea what to do. With themselves. My father was totally lost for two years after retiring, until we got him into gardening.gave him some happiness for his last eight years.
Ironhold over 10 years ago
Back when I was in high school, I was something of a “free spirit” who focused on family obligations, church obligations, and other matters instead of extra-credit and extra-curriculars.[]I still managed to graduate #46 out of approximately 420 students.[]The big thing pulling down my GPA was my pre-calculus class, and that had more to do with the teacher than my study habits. Her poor time management skills meant that we usually got no more than halfway through each day’s lesson before time ran out, yet she still expected us to know the material inside & out and had no sympathy for anyone who needed actual face-to-face instruction. []Given how razor-thin the GPA spread was, if it wasn’t for that pre-cal class I’d have easily made it up into the top 10%.
topbunk over 10 years ago
An interesting, but slanted point of view.
nawsa Premium Member over 10 years ago
I almost agree with MeGoNow, but the problem is not with Zen Pencils; the interpretation is fine. I don’t agree with the idea the the “other” has the key. My sister and I have been successful in our long lives and would hate to live as the other does. We like each other and are amused with the awareness that we probably never would have met if we hadn’t been raised together; we don’t live on the same planet.
Chrystos B Minot Premium Member over 10 years ago
What a negative, cranky graduation speech. Meh. The oppositional dichotomy between creativity and education is a false one, a straw dog….. Like the movie “Like Water for Chocolate”, it is way too simplistic. Pink Floyd song, “We don’t need no edu-cation, we don’t need no thought con-trol…!” Uh-huh. Go back to 1969 then, when everyone was dropping out, & happy! …. for me gratitude fertilizes my myriad branches of creativity, not crankiness and cynicism… Meh. A swing and a strike for Z.P….. PS otherwise, I love your stuff!
vldazzle over 10 years ago
I dropped out before completing college because my parents would not support my wish to be an architect (back in 1950s) and back then, few kids did college without parental help.
After my divorce, I DID go after my dreams (little by little) until I achieved quite a lot – and I was happy and satisfied with my life, monetarily. I made sure all 4 of my children were self sufficient adults and I progressed looking to finally fill my own needs. I spent enough years making 60M per year that my SSA is about as high as anyone I know, so I have now downsized so I can live as a retired person at 76. I hope to live in good health (with no medications long term) until past 100 by my own healthy cooking and having someone great to love.
Ironhold over 10 years ago
When I went to high school, I learned four key lessons:[]1. Never presume that any given authority figure has your best interests at heart.[]2. Never presume that you will have anyone help you out if a crisis situation should occur.[]3. In the event that you cannot find a pack to travel with, attempt to look as intimidating as possible. []4. Pay attention to any and all objects present in whatever room you are located in. These items can – and potentially will – be used to render harm to someone. []I take pride in the fact that I darn near clawed my way to the top in spite of the school I went to being that astoundingly dangerous.
kaffekup over 10 years ago
For a great graduation speech, google the “You are not special” speech – it’s viral, and it’s a lot more optimistic than it sounds.