Wednesday, February 03, 2010

Revisiting

Researching universities as I help my son(s) with the college application process, I can't help but occasionally feel a twinge of envy as I see the infinite possibilities that lay before him. The choices he has & the myriad of opportunities is way more than I could ever have dreamed of when I was his age.

I find myself wishing that I, too, can go back to college, this time not to study Medicine, but to take courses like Film Studies, or Film Production, or Art classes to help me flex the rather atrophic creative muscles (if any!) in me.

Oh, don't get me wrong...I have good memories of Med School (apart from the studying. And the lectures. And clerking patients. And exams. :) ). I look back fondly on times spent in the college hostel, participating in inter-faculty sports and especially of being a part of putting plays together (which was probably my favorite extra-curricular activities - a sign that I perhaps went into the wrong field, hmm?).

I loved the camaraderie of working together with the cast & crew of each & every production I was involved with & the adrenaline rush one felt on opening night, and the exhilaration one felt after the final curtain call of a job well done.

Aaahhhh....those were the days....

3 comments:

Valerie said...

Agree. And thank goodness we are not parents that force round pegs (kids) to square holes (courses)!!

nofearSingapore said...

Hi aliendoc,
Don't we all wonder if we had better career counselling would we have been better "something else" other than the beat-up docs that we are now?
That's why with my kids, I take great pains to help them explore their talents and passions and guide them step-by-step through their discovery of their life-plan.
However, ultimately it would have to be a personal decision- their personal decision, not ours.

Gong Xi Fa Cai

aliendoc said...

Gong Xi Fa Cai to you Dr Huang!
Back in "those days", our options were much more limited (at least mine were). My kids are much more fortunate not just with their life experiences & options, but also with more open-minded parents! Similarly, we encourage our kids to make choices based on where their passions lie, as we firmly believe that if one has passion in something one does, the rewards will come eventually, & they will be happy in whatever they choose to do.