What I’m Re-Reading: Meditations by Marcus Aurelius

Last week I promised myself I’d pick up this book again. And so I have, but this time around I’m trying to be more deliberate about my read through. I’m taking the emperor’s journals on my daily walks. Reading a section or two a day and putting it aside to think on its contents. I first read this stoic handbook a little less than a year ago. I picked it up mostly out of curiosity and a few recommendations. At the time I had no idea what Stoicism really was. I blazed through it on the 4-hour train ride from New York to Boston and stuffed it away with my other books. But over time the book kept sneaking up on me and Stoicism became more and more apparent as a personal philosophy. Eventually, I picked up Seneca and Epictetus and I was floored by its relevance. Reading it back now its a world of change. Things that seemed esoteric now seem absolutely vital to its importance. As Heraclitus says, and Aurelius quotes: “No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.”

What I’m Sprinting Towards: Graduation

It’s just around the corner. Although not physically graduating, I’m finished with my 4 years this coming Thursday. As with all hyped societal events it feels a little anti-climactic, but maybe that’s the pandemic’s fault. At this point, it feels more like dull anticipation, exciting, but muddled with “let’s just get this over with already.” While things aren’t exactly set in stone for the “after” everyone wants to know about, I’m not blind either. Its a little shaky but the future looks good or fun at the very least. That being said there’s only so many times I’m going to answer the question “what now?” in the next two weeks so get your tickets in now.