I came to Hotchkiss with a fever— I carved my path so intensely that at some point my dedication bordered on insanity, and my discipline, asceticism. My drive didn’t come from external pressure or validation, but rather, an impulse for self-actualization. Madness is somewhere between chaos and having a dream; somewhere between intellectual passion, perfectionist fear, and bohemian yearning to break free, I built my life around a monk-like routine.
People say every greatness requires sacrifice. Olympic athletes. High-profile leaders. But it is difficult to be that great without focusing your vision so severely, like Tom Brady and his seventh ring. As any driver of men, dreams, too, are addictive and consuming. So immersed in the metaphysical, I forgot that, before vessels for higher production, we were humans: flesh, bones, and heart. Life offered sensations and excitements that gleamed just as brightly as those pleasures of the abstract. Those spheres of life slowly seeped into me. Much like the reverse of Plato’s cave, I opened up to a larger world, and slowly, I became more whole, more lucid, more humble. I dedicated myself to the company of friends, finding love, and enjoying life.
There, in this new mode, I found healing, joy, and meaning. I felt alive, captivated. We can only think so much. Ideas are seductive, but our brains can only optimize our future so much. Experience is the one currency I believe in, and to earn it, you must wade into the water and wet your sleeves. Throw your heart into things and care deeply. If I have children, I’d tell them: be good, be interesting, and live with passion. Choose your life before time chooses it for you. And lastly, do not forget to be grateful. When you are racing at two hundred miles per hour, it is easy to let your surroundings blur away. Every race car needs a pit check.
They say every end is sweet, and this one, too painfully so. But what I am certain of is that this place and these people are where I first found living. Thank you, Hotchkiss. I will miss your many faces. Your evening sun, blue distances, and little pearls in the sky that have blinked for me. And last of all, your spring—its warmth, laughter, and goodbyes. I have loved you all, and I will think of you often. Hail and goodbye, Hotchkiss.
