Long time no post fam.
Hope all is well with yours. I've been going through a lot of changes and challenges, but nothing that I haven't been prepared for.
Which leads me to my point I like to remind people of: try expanding outside of FIRST in college. FIRST has set me up for some amazing things in my life, and those things have lead to even bigger and better things. Build upon what you have and move on. Come back when you are ready. Come back when there's something new to add.
The magician Brian Brushwood posted
a great story in 2009 of him talking to Teller of Penn & Teller in how to advance in the world of magic. Teller said this:
Quote:
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Have heroes outside of magic. Mine are Hitchcock, Poe, Sophocles, Shakespeare, and Bach. You're welcome to borrow them, but you must learn to love them yourself for your own reasons. Then they'll push you in the right direction.
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I return to that story, and that quote, many times. Replace 'magic' with FIRST.
I came back to this topic and CD today for two reasons: some jerk named Conor Ryan posted something FIRST related on FB and I saw it. I was in Conor's wedding last year. And every day for the past decade I've talked daily to this thread's creator, DJ Fluck, someone I consider one of my closest and best friends.
Last summer I took over chapter advisor duties for the Phi Kappa Psi colony at Kent State University. I wouldn't be in this position of molding young men and helping change that university if it wasn't for FIRST. Yet I also wouldn't have their respect, brotherhood, and love if I didn't leave FIRST. Yet I took six years between my graduating Dayton and mentoring a chapter; you do need time off.
Please consider my advice. FIRST won't leave. I love everything I received from FIRST and everything I accomplished after I left. Please don't limit yourselves.