At the end of the semester and writing portfolio, I was pretty disappointed in the way I let myself go about taking the class. I wrote this letter to the future me, highlighting what I learned over the course of the semester. I really attempted to write something to myself that would tell me what I learned from my American Manifesto class on a broader scale than just writing processes. It was a little hard to write so the reader would be receptive because I don't know where I will be as a person in 20-25 years. Overall though it was pretty interesting to really conceptualize the intangible impact of what I learned this semester inside and outside of classes.
Dear Mr. Reed,
You wrote this letter to yourself at the end of the first semester of your freshman year at Boston University because of an assignment for your writing course on the American Manifesto. If you remember it at all, I am sure you will recall the fact that you were not terribly fond of the courses' work load, and that it did the opposite of help increase your GPA. I know that all is irrelevant to you now because you learned from the experience as a whole. Years ago you occasionally read what actually interested you and more or less hated reading and analyzing and comparing arduous texts like the ones you read in the Fall on 2010, detailing the lives and stories of famous figures in American culture, past and present. But what you took away from it all was that even if you fail to have much of a genuine interest, it is for your own good to strive to gain a grasp of the content and ideas of what you fail to genuinely want to know. You most likely now are far to busy to be concerned with the advice of a 19 year old who you know took almost nothing seriously before really knowing where he wanted to go in life. However, I still expect you to pay attention. If you don’t already know and understand this then you have failed what a kid wanted you to do. Take everything you see and experience to heart. Don’t see everything you do in life as a set of tasks to reach different goals, see it as a journey to become a better man. While you wrote this many years ago because of some assignment for some class with some professor, you need to realize that you will never truly get anything that you strive to have if you don’t sacrifice for it. It is easy to say that but it is something completely different to believe it and make it your own. I know I do not have to preach this to you because you learned a lot about yourself over your time at BU. What really started it all was failing to put the sufficient effort into that writing class. It was not because you weren't a skilled writer when it comes to comprehensive comparative analysis, although it was never your strong suit. You learned because of your personal failure, and you made yourself you look deeply into the man staring back at you in the glass mirror.
I’m sorry to remind you that you did screw up pretty badly as a kid, more than just not caring enough to put the time into studying for a writing class. You really took thing for granted and never appreciated the journey of your amazing experiences. Really what else is left besides the memories after something is over? I trust you, and know you will read this and hopefully shrug it off because you already learned these things and made them your own. Even if you have, keep in mind that the ideal of improving who you are is just that, an ideal. It cannot be held or met. Just as the horizon sits just beyond the reach of man, you must continue to seek out your horizon that is learning in life.
On a lighter note, keep doing the things you used to love. You better still have my little 1969 Boston Whaler in perfect condition, taking it out in the Thimbles this summer because no matter how busy you think you are you need to take time for yourself. Love your work, and if you don’t, find something that you do. Yes, I hope you’re making enough money to live comfortably because you didn’t have everything you wanted growing up, but it is not the be all and end all of life. Remember you wrote this letter too! I hate listening to my own personal criticism so think of this as what I wanted you to become, not some piece of writing shooting down how you used to be…that is if you can make an sense of how I wrote this. If you read close enough you’ll understand what I need you to know. Thanks.
Casually,
Alden B. Reed