Purpose, Fulfillment, Discontent
Purpose In the Face of Her Purpose I was on a crowded train to Salem so that I could catch July 4th fireworks when a young Asian woman who caught my eye immediately got on at one of the stops and sat in the seat right next to mine. Not wanting to miss any chance with her, I struck up a conversation with the woman and learned she was a grad student in psychology. After briefly discussing her studies and what she specialized in, she told me she was going to Boston for her internship program. Before I knew what interns are put through, I was mystified that she was being made to work on a significant federal holiday. I casually (hopefully not creepily) invited her to ditch her responsibilities and join my friends and I to catch the fireworks. She politely declined, and I felt my chances with her evaporate into thin air. I got off at my stop in Salem, hiked over to the waterfront to sit with my friends on the waterfront lawn, and thought about the beautiful woman I’d met on the ...