Weight
Imagine, if you will, a situation in which you are forced to hold your arms out, perpendicular to your body. At this point, a small amount of weight is placed on your outstretched arms, after which you are told that you must keep your arms perpendicular to your body, no matter how much weight is placed upon your arms.
At first, this doesn’t seem like that big a deal. The weight is light, and you can easily hold it up. Also, you can get plenty of sleep and still hold the weight.
After a few months of doing this, the weight begins to increase. While slow at first, the increase gets steadily larger. Although you have gotten stronger, the weight threatens to become unbearable. You get less and less sleep because of the strain, and still the weight increases.
The pain builds and builds until finally you feel your arms about to collapse under the strain and exhaustion. However, just as you are about to fail, the weight is lifted, almost magically.
Obviously, my little parable has to do with the end of school being within sight. Despite two-hour track practices and a somewhat large homework load, the small 12 days left of school keeps me going. Unfortunately, it also makes the weight that much heavier, knowing that it will be over very soon, but there’s nothing I can do to speed up the process.
I’m sure you know the feeling I’m talking about. The feeling that if these next 12 days take any longer to finish, you’re going to tear your hair out by the roots, or someone else’s hair by the roots, depending upon which you prefer.
Anyway, I get the feeling that I’ll be able to make it until the end. After all, I’ve made it this far. What can 12 days possibly do to me that the rest of the year hasn’t already?
— Carl Zielinski