What matters to you and why?
Two things matter to me: learning the stories of others and writing my own.
I think humanity is defined by our ability to create and encode stories. In science we tell the story of the universe and our attempts to interpret it. We constantly evolve our scientific ‘story’ to mesh with new discoveries and innovations. In the arts we explore the story of human nature. We constantly challenge our conceptions of humanity and life, endlessly pushing forward.
I want to read these stories. I want to explore Einstein’s Theory of Relativity and the plot twist of quantum mechanics. I want to read Tolstoy’s powerful portrayal of the human condition or David Foster Wallace songs to freedom. In the end, my desire to read these stories is what wakes me up in the morning. It’s what drives me into the early morning hours, laughing, not wanting to do anything else, and being happier than I’ve ever been.
And when I read these stories, I can’t help but feel challenged to make my own stories, to add to that great human story that we are all a part of, to sing my own songs before my life and being are nothing but dust and ash.
What truly matters to me is grabbing onto my passion rocket and never letting go. For me, being awed by our universe is not enough - I want to share my awe with whoever wants to listen.
And I hope that there are a lot of listeners.