The Recently Examined Quest for Success

The quest for knowledge, aptly summarized by Chet Raymo, is "hemmed with peril". This viewpoint is also applicable to the quest for success. In our high school, students join clubs like HOSA, Model UN, take difficult AP classes, sit through hours of Kabir all in search for success.

However, as Raymo states for the quest for knowledge, the quest for success is also hemmed with peril. For example, this weekend I was at a Model United Nations conference hosted by Michigan State University.  Since I've been attending this conference since freshmen year, I hoped I would finally prove myself and get best delegate. However, in the end, I got honorable mention, essentially third place. Thus, in deciding to write today's blog, this quote instantly reminded me of MSUMUN. 

My quest for success in Model UN has been hemmed with perils: the effort and exertion and time consumption spent on preparing for each conference resulting in... not what I've hoped for. However, it's also been hemmed with memories: from watching Bollywood until 3 A.M., to finally tasting the heavenly Insomnia Cookies, to screaming the lyrics to "Partition" on the streets of Lansing. Would I trade anything for those? Would I even trade the highest award for those? The cheesy, yet honest answer is no. Admittedly, achieving the latter and former would be the best of both worlds, but since I haven't reached that point yet, I stay firm on my notion. Although I have been on a four year mission for Model UN success, it's been a pretty enjoyable climb. And that's what marks the difference between the quest for knowledge and the quest for success. The quest for knowledge, according to Raymo, is mostly hemmed by peril. In my viewpoint, however, the quest for success, although definitely hemmed with peril, is also "cross-stitched" with threads of good times, greater people, and overall unforgettable experiences.

gang