One Way Ticket (Because I Can)

If I were Paddy Clarke writing this in my stream of consciousness this post would be four lines long. Really short. Symbolic of how I have too much else to do. Of how I'm mildly confused and overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of what's to come my way soon. Soon.

Oh well here it goes. The next five weeks will make or break me. It is in some sense a fight to the finish. Fight. I have grappled with IB for 21 months and have spent countless hours reading up beyond my syllabus in anticipation of an Oxford application. Yes, these things take commitment. They take commitment (someone who'll go the distance). Not that I don't regularly give that. I do. In everything I do. IB exams will be done some 5 Thursdays from today. In that time, this is my to-do list. 23rd October: Oxford interviews, in preparation of which I will be meeting some close acquaintances tomorrow for an intellectual discussion (over some alcohol possibly) on things in general, things we could discuss at our interviews. That would be nice. Good friends and a glass of wine. 5th November: History Aptitude Test for Oxford. That is in the middle of 4th to 20th November: IBDP Exams. It is daunting. The tremour is palpable. Something I can feel. At the very least there is my class (clique really) trip to Hong Kong for 5 days (21st to 25th November) to look forward to. Fun and excitement. Pretty things. It's always nice to have the sweet parts at the end, like your desserts. But for now, though, it needs to be serious business. Fun has to be the last thing on my mind.

It's good, after all, to be focused. I mean there's no point panicking, or going around being defeatist and crying out "How do I live with all this stress". Everybody has to go through trying times in their lives and it is our imperative duty to give it our best shot. It does not matter if we do not succeed. What does not kill us makes us stronger. I believe these tribulations are placed in our lives for this very purpose. Call it fate, if you will. Say it's written in the stars. But it is true! These things come as part of life's natural trajectory. Like Sun gives way to moon each day. And you know, deep down, that you can't fight the moonlight. Okay I'm digressing. Yes okay. I will give my utmost because I am only ever going to get to do this once, as with all things. There is no turning back time and no amount of regret makes up for a past underperformance. It helps to work hard, it helps to be on the side of angels and it helps to have faith in myself. It is now time to look straight ahead and stride confidently into the most challenging (academically anyway) 5 weeks of my life. Because I Can.

(If you haven't realised I don't fully mean all that I said. The nice narrative is just a nice foil for something else I am doing here. I am paying a tribute, well sort of. If you don't get it, well, go figure. You evidently don't know what good music is!)