How Are You Doing?

by Jerry Nwosuocha - Platform Year Student

You know, at times I wake up in the morning asking myself what the hell am I doing here? Worry hits me smack dab in the face. I’ve got bills to pay, food to eat, a life (mundane as it may be) to live. Then I think, why do I even bother getting up? Should I just go back to Houston? I sluggishly walk to my tiny shower in the tiny bathroom. Lather up and worry more. Get dressed in, more than likely, something that doesn’t matter and truck on to the Q train…

As the silver bullet (more like over-sized centipede) approaches, I walk on and feel like I’m walking into a new world of yellow and brown. With the people. Ahh, the people! I feel like I’m part of a song written by Lionel Richie and Michael Jackson. I can’t help but smile and realize I’m where I’m supposed to be. In the city of all cities. The capital of the world. And I realize, I’m here to learn from these people. The people on the train, the vendor in Union Square selling buttons the size of an Alka-Seltzer, the bum (tramps as my British friends so fondly call them) asking for spare change, the beautiful model-like business woman who won’t so much as bat an eye at my sad attempt to flirt with her, the bike messenger holding the elevator door, and David sitting at the front desk of the school.

“Good morning,” I say. Open the door and hear the in-comprehend-able murmur of recognizable voices. And the smile of a familiar face.
“Hi Jerry,” she says. “How are you doing?” And in what feels like an eternity I ponder my infantile day.
“Great!” I respond.

I’m living my dream. It might not be the great “American Dream”…

White picket fence

….but it’s mine. I may be struggling, but I know the caterpillar must struggle to escape from the cocoon to flourish as a butterfly.

I don’t know about you, the reader, but being at The Podium thanking Them for my Emmy is one of my many goals.

I know that along the way I’m going to question my dream, my intentions, and my actions. But as long as I keep asking myself the most important question, I think it puts all other question into perspective.

HOW ARE YOU DOING?

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