Brett McCollumWhy Do I Do What I DoGrowing up with three older siblings, (all four of us were only five years apart) I think I was somewhat more dependent than independent in most of my interactions. Maybe it’s my status as an Echo-Boomer, but I always participated in team sports, and I always cherished my community time as a younger brother. Maybe it’s also for this reason that I simply cannot truly say I have a passion or something that really defines me. I love volleyball, but without it, I could still be more or less the same person. I have never felt that I needed something to drive me, and yet I realize that maybe I am lacking some drive or determination in my adolescent life. Being in college, for example, has opened my eyes to the shear fact that I am surrounded by large numbers of talented people. The TA’s for our class for example, are set out in a process to master an instrument, and for that I respect them greatly. At the same time, I can’t see myself being driven like that. Why do I do what I do? I do things in my daily life because they give me some temporary pleasure, or because I can see my actions as having the potential to help others. I don’t need pleasure, and I understand that I am so unbelievably fortunate compared to almost everyone across our Earth. I do, however, choose to play sports or music because it gives me pleasure on some ephemeral or fleeting level. I love the life I was lucky enough to have, and maybe I take things a bit too much for granted, but I feel like I am constantly working on being more humble and grateful in my everyday life. Also, although I don’t actively think about this, I am aware that I probably do things because others around me do these same things. I am not incredibly original, nor do I try to be completely different from the crowd. I do things like volleyball and music because they give me pleasure and I see them as benefiting my overall quality of life. Hopefully, during college, I will be inspired to find a passion or truly cultivate something that is already a part of my life.
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