She greeted
me with a smile, and that was all the encouragement I needed. Jordan and I
easily slipped back into our routine of solving problems together, this time
regarding the kinetics of chemical reactions. As it is one of my favorite
topics, I tried to convey that same enjoyment to her. Admittedly, however, it
is not the most intuitive, so we went through many examples. It was exceedingly
pleasing to observe her enthusiasm grow proportionally to the ease with which
she solved them.
While elucidating this lesson,
something unexpected struck. I had been explaining that though we may know a
chemical reaction and even its equilibrium state, we are unable to determine
the rate at which it had occurred with the equation as our sole informant. The
chemical reaction given involves only the overall reactants and products,
leaving out the intermediates in between. This is remarkably similar to all our
paths. We may know our general direction, but it is impossible to predict the
journeys each of us will take. I had expected to streamline from college to
medical school, but here I am, somewhere I’d never imagined. And this journey
has been so enriching, so full of experiences that I would never give up. I
hope that as each of us continues down our respective paths, we keep in mind
that each step is for a reason, and each turn holds a meaning. Because, unlike
chemical reactions, the beginning and the end for us bear no significance
without the middle.
January
community service hours: 2
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