As a college student, my life shifts drastically between the beginning of May through the end of August. I don’t have to worry about any major assignment deadlines, but I also had little reason to hide in the library when it hit 118 degrees the other day. With summer comes a sudden stop in goals. Throughout the school year, you’re essentially just given goals: get straight A’s, do some meaningful research, don’t pull an all-nighter. During the summer, there’s a void of goals set before us that, I feel at least, must be filled. A summer without any goals would see wasteful (although probably more restful), but I think I’d die a little inside if I kept my academic research going full speed ahead. So, I took my favorite hobby and made a bet that seems a tiny bit one sided.
My bet has nothing to do with Greek, textual criticism, systematics, or any other realm of Biblical studies. A person can only take reading so many slightly-differently worded versions of the same arguments with the same self-important rhetoric that plagues them all. But you know what doesn’t talk? Barbells. Barbells and plates. The deadlift will never ask me to describe its purpose for coming off the floor with reference to its ontology, the bench press will not ask me to parse anything, and the squat will not ask me to explain my methodology in grueling detail – it will just kill me if I do it wrong (which sometimes might be my wish when rewriting an intro for the nth time.)
I bet a friend of mine that I would be able to back squat 500lbs/~227kg before he is able to front squat 400lbs/~181kg. I think the terms of the bet were pretty much the same no matter if we win or lose, it’s just going out on a double date. But in a summer of heat waves, 20hr/week jobs, and the ever-present temptation of lethargy, I needed something to set a goal towards this summer. What’s the point of this goal? I’m going into my senior year and I’m feeling the burn out. I have no desire to finish my gen-eds. I need something as a bit of a recharge, and I need something I can pour myself into. I find a lot of satisfaction in getting stronger and tracking progress. Mixing that with rest and learning how to better take care of my body through different recovery techniques (stretching, massages, Korean Spas), I think this summer is lining up to be a refreshing one.
Now you might think, “But why waste your time on this? If you just pushed through the grind to continue studying over the summer, you’d be so much better at what you’re studying!” The sentiment isn’t wrong, but I had a professor a couple of semesters ago make a point that has stuck with me – it’s important to stay balanced. He recalled a fellow academic who, while being prolific in his field, ultimately neglected his own physical health, his wife, and his family in pursuit of Biblical-Academic achievements. The irony of the whole situation permanently imprinted the story into my mind.
So, with my time off academics, I’ll likely read some Greek over the summer to stay proficient though not getting much better, have a few academic conversations (note: academic =/= spiritual), spend lots of time with my friends, and try to lift weights heavy enough to crush me if I’m not careful. How are you spending your breaks?
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