So I had lunch with my bro MT today. Whenever MT and I get together for lunch, it usually ends up in some serious conversation and thought and today was no different. I don't want to get too into it as it's pretty theological. Let's just say that one thing is certain: MT sure knows alot more scripture verses than I do! I just am not very good at memorizing specific things. I remember the general meaning of passages and where they are (kind of) and then take it from there.
We did discuss the difference between college and the "real world". I made the analogy of comparing us (twenty-somethings who miss for the days in which we were in college) with Willy, a.k.a. Keiko, the killer whale who was made famous by the "Free Willy" movies. Due to the popularity of the movies, there was a movement to free Willy and we did two years ago. There was training for Willy so that he could survive in the wild and everything but in the end, 2 years later, Willy is now back in a harbor in Sweden, playing with children. Apparently, Willy would prefer to play with human beings than play with other killer whales.
Willy is very smart. At a zoo/aquarium, in the custody of his parents, Willy is protected from other wild predators of the oceans, while also being fed whenever he wants. He gets companionship, perhaps not of his kind, but companionship in the form of human beings who feed him and play with him. In MTV/ESPN terms, it's called, "The Life". Now, when we were in college, we were protected from predators of the wild (other human beings who want to step all over you on the way to the top). You had competition, yes, but it was competition against people who were your age and just as naive and competition solely involved studying hard and trying your best. In the concrete jungle that is the real world, people will use ad hominem attacks, character attacks, lies, cheating, and stealing to get past you on the way to the top. They will do whatever they can to destroy you without remorse. A dog eat dog world.... a rat race. If you haven't seen it, you haven't been in corporate America long enough. In WIlly's case, these predators are the sharks. The sharks will do whatever they can to kill and eat Willy when he's in the oceans. It's no wonder he wants to come back to the acquarium life. Most of us in college were, if not wholly, then at least partially supported by our parents. We didn't have to worry about long term career goals and advancement in our careers. We just had to worry about the next midterm week. Now, we have to make decisions and take actions that could not only affect our lives today, but for the next 10-20 years. What am I saying? I'm saying that we are just like Keiko the Whale... wishing for the security of our youth.
Anwyays, there is good news and the good news is that in the end, none of this matters compared to eternity so focus your eyes upward and listen to what He has to say about our lives.
