Tomorrow’s the last teaching day of the semester. It’s not been a particularly excellent one, but I’m glad that it’s happened. It means we’re closer to the end of the degree I’ve been working toward since 2015. There’s a lot to take away from all of these experiences I’ve had, and I know I will. I know I’ll carry them with me wherever I go: all of it.
The last week got me reading again: properly. I recently finished the Ben Rhodes’ memoir of the Obama White House years. It gave me a ton of food for thought. Obama’s always been a President I’ve admired. It helps that he was in power through my “formative” years, so to speak. I learned about his policy positions a lot later: and I agree with some while I disagree with others. What I admired about Obama was his ability to present the United States of America as a country that, irrespective of the drama going on, had things under control. That emotion of calm within the storm: something I found akin to Dhoni, when he led teams.
It was just emotional processing at a different level.
Reading Rhodes’ book reminded me of that time. It also taught me the value of a support team. That matters, and it gives you perspective when you need it. The book’s a stunning read, and its got me thinking and reading a lot more about American politics than I normally would be.
Tejas Rao 