Finding life

It is not the critic who counts. Not the man who points out where the strong man stumbled or where the doer of great deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to those who are actually in the arena, who strive valiantly; who know the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spend themselves in a worthy cause; who at best, know the triumph of high achievement; and who, at the worst, if they fail, fail while daring greatly, so that their place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.

- Theodore Roosevelt

Duke at night

Some nights are simply perfect.

Dawn came home from school today for dinner but had to return for a group meeting. I hadn’t been to the gym today and decided to tag along. Might as well work out at the Duke gym instead of the little one at our apartment complex. I dropped her at the business school, worked out, then grabbed my bag and started walking.

And suddenly it is perfect. Dark sky but lots of street lights. Students literally everywhere. The chapel is glowing, all the way to the top. Me, I’m walking to the library to do some reading and some work that didn’t get done today. At Duke.

I’m 31 years old and unless I am surprised later in life, done with my formal education. While UVA was perfect and I wouldn’t dream of changing that experience, Duke was always my dream school. And here I am. Working out. Reading in the library. Enjoying a good bit of what Duke has to offer.

Tonight I finally began to appreciate it. In a short moment while walking across the campus, I finally got a sense of what a gift these two years are. Not just for Dawn but for me too.

Some nights are simply perfect.