I’m deep into my audit textbook and the summer is flying by. Everybody should live by auditor rules; they’re fundamental. I quote, “A fiduciary relationship is simply one in which you are acting for the benefit of another person and placing the responsibilities to be fair and honest ahead of your own interest.” Solid advice for everybody, albeit a bit idealistic.
I ran a road race last Sunday morning—a race that I had signed up for way back when I had still had time to prepare for it. But time, by definition, slips away; suddenly it was go time and I had to run it without practice. That’s not quite true: I did go for a hill run a week before the race, which left me sore and stiff the remainder of the week. By Sunday, I was walking without a limp and lined up confidently at the starting line at the bottom of a 2,200’ climb. The weather was perfect; low 60s, bright sun, and no wind. The scenery was spectacular but I was still a bit woozy from getting up at 5am and running above 9,000’ elevation. Uphill. The race was seven miles long and every inch was uphill. There was one person who fared worse than me—he was wearing flip flops and I watched incredulously as he charged past me at mile 2; but at mile 6, where I passed him again, he was staggering wildly and having an animated solo conversation, hair covering his face.
My time was not as good as last year, and running was pure misery. To finish the race, to still be running, to still be alive, was tremendously rewarding, though. To borrow a quote from a fellow blogger/mountaineer/moon watcher, “..these zen moments are sometimes preceded by moments of sheer terror on the journey upwards. I am a richer person for having ascended these paths.”
As of this week, I have full-time employment waiting when I graduate. While it’s over a year away, it’s fantastic not having to deal with the recruitment overhead anymore. Next semester will be crammed full of classes, as usual. I’m still working two jobs for 30-40 hours a week of employment, in addition to the ~45 hours of class and homework each week. Technically, grades don’t matter anymore, but how could I pull back with the end so near? I will be holding cost accounting supplemental sessions instead of math classes—a welcome change. I love math, but freshmen can be challenging creatures to please. Memorization that exceled in high school does not work in college. I’ve seen 4.0 high school grads struggle with business math, unequipped to deal with practical applications. By the time students reach cost accounting, they’ve either buckled down, changed majors, or dropped out. It’s shaping up to be a great semester.
Before it arrives, I need another adventure… Stay tuned.