My life experiences, in short

I’m sorry I haven’t been keeping up lately.. I’ve had a little trouble with my password. But I’m back. I know you all are glad to hear that! Sort of. Anyway, I’ve started classes at Quincy College, and so far, nothing troubling to look forward to. I recently completed the first of five assignments for my Psychology class. It was not too hard, and it took me a while, but I now have a rough draft to hand in to the teacher before it’s actually due. Always a good habit to get into. If nothing else, the one thing I have learned throughout high school, is that rough drafts do nothing but help you. Too bad I didn’t think of that last semester.. My Philosophy class may be a little more difficult, considering we only have two tests the entire semester. I’ll just have to prepare myself adequately for them. No worries so far.

Recently, I’ve begun reading a book called “The Know-It-All” by AJ Jacobs. I recommend this book to anyone who may or may not lack irrelevant knowledge, but appreciates some good sarcasm. Jacobs attempts to read the entire encyclopedia (44 million words, by the way), in order to become the smartest man. I admire his determination, but can honestly say that I have never, and most likely will never, have the urge to take this daunting task upon myself. So I figured his book would be good enough. It is filled with sarcasm, leaving no page unturned without at least a quick laugh.

Well, in case you all were wondering, I’ve begun thinking about stand-up comedy. Now, after you’ve all made your preliminary judgements, hear me out. Because there are so few jobs out there, and I tend to have quite the sense of humor when I want to, I feel like stand-up could pan out for me. Not because I want to find a career in going on stage and making fun of the people I love, but mainly because I feel they provide adequate humor to get at least one routine out of. I’m not talking about Comedy Central-worthy stuff here, I’m just thinking small comedy clubs and such. Still, this is only in the back of my mind, considering I’m having so much trouble finding a job myself.

On August 26th, my mother and I made the 4 hour journey to Colchester, VT, where I embarked on the journey that I like to refer to as “the beginning of the beginning,” college. Since the day I received the acceptance letter, I knew that St. Michael’s College was the place for me. I loved the campus, the people were extremely pleasant, and I could play lacrosse. I figured there was no downside to the situation. It was the day I had dreamed about since the first day I entered through the doors at Catholic Memorial High School. As soon as I arrived, I was greeted by some of the nicest people you will ever meet, and found myself making friends left and right. My roomate was great, and is still a very close friend today, along with most of the other people I had grown to know and love throughout the first semester. As the semester went along, I had so much fun, and enjoyed everything about the school. Everything, that is, except the schoolwork. I know that I am not alone in saying that schoolwork sucks. However, it must be done, and there’s no way around that. Unfortunately, that realization came too late. After my first semester, I had a GPA of .73 and had failed a class, and needless to say, my other grades were not too good. Again, I pushed this problem aside and tried as hard as I could to hide from it. This Christmas break, however, it came full circle. In an email and a call from the Dean of Students, I found out that the Academic Review Board had voted to dismiss me from the college. I could not go back for the second semester. Although I had a feeling that it was coming, I was devistated to say the least. And although I did not show it outwardly, it has already had a huge impact on me. For example, it is 3:06 in the morning and I have not slept. That’s how it is most nights for me recently.

It took me a while to face my mistake, but I eventually (and hopefully for good) realized that I had to do whatever necessary to prove that the first semester there was not an accurate portrayal of me as a person or student. I got good grades in high school, barely even opening a book. School has always come easy to me, and although it seemed like a God-given gift at one time, it has now become quite a problem. Here’s a piece of advice for anyone who is going through high school just like I did, easily and barely needing to open a book:

YOU CANNOT BULLSHIT YOUR WAY THROUGH COLLEGE LIKE YOU DID IN HIGH SCHOOL.

End of story. That is one life lesson that you have to know. Unfortunately for me, that lesson came a little too late. Now, I am trying to get a job to pay for classes at a local college. However, the terms of my dismissal state that if I take approved classes (approved by the registrar’s office at St. Mike’s) there is a chance of readmission. So as I lay here tonight (or this morning), I am vowing to myself that I will do whatever is necessary to get back there. I realize that I do not want to give up all that I have come to know and love at St. Mike’s because of my own stupid mistake. Therefore, I am doing what it will take to make sure that I do not blow this opportunity if it does offer itself to me once again.

Before you begin reading this blog, there are a few things I feel you should know about me. First and foremost, my name is Keith. I am 18 years old, and live in MA. I play lacrosse competitively, and also play hockey on a regular basis. I grew up in a house with my single mother and two grandparents. My whole life, I have been under a tight reign, and often times I feel as if that has restricted me. My father left the day my mother told him she was pregnant. No sympathy, please.. I have survived thus far without him, and I have no desire to include him in the life he was not interested in. My mother often tells me that I am the best thing that has ever happened to her, which is why I understand why she has been so strict on me. I know that in the long run, she has done her job by teaching me right from wrong, although I do not always make the best decisions. Please try not to judge me, everyone has their quirks and no one is exempt.

When I was eleven, I found out that I had been born with only one kidney (Yes, normal people have two kidneys). In a hockey incident, I was injured and was in the hospital for two days.. This has affected my every day life, and it was also the basis for my college essay. I figured, every school gets essays about how one’s community service has made them a better person, or how travelling to a different country changed one’s outlook on life. But how many colleges get essays about a kid having one kidney? (Very few, considering 1 out of every 750 people are born this way, but 98% of them never find out throughout the course of their lives.) This is far from a sore subject.. A few nicknames (that I do not mind at all) that I have gotten are Captain Kidney, Han Solo, Kidney, and probably whatever else you can think of. It is a way to distinguish myself from most other people, and I view it not as a hinderance, but perhaps a blessing.

I do not show my emotions easily. I am probably one of the most sarcastic people you will ever meet. Don’t take it personally, it’s just who I am. When faced with problems, I often push them aside and try to hide from them and cover them up with sarcasm. Probably not my best character trait, but it is one that defines me as a person. I am a good person, or at least I try to be. It is obvious when I am being serious, and there are certain things I will never joke about. The list is short, though. I try to have a good sense of humor, and I have been told that I am funny. I will never admit to it, but I try.. Sometimes too hard. Take that however you want to. If I had to sum up my personality in one sentence, I would have to use a quote by Orison Marden. I will never forget it: “Success is not measured by what you accomplish, but by the opposition which you have encountered, and the courage with which you have maintained the struggle against overwhelming odds.”

Now I know that very few people are interested in my life story, and believe me, it’s not that interesting. But to understand where I am coming from, you need to know these few things. This blog is of my personal experience and thoughts and ideas, so do not at any time assume that I am trying to persuade or convince you of anything. That is not my intent. My intent is merely to share these experiences so that you can learn from my mistakes, or know that you are not the only one who is going through this.