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Unit1WhatwewishMydearchild,Youareabouttoparticipateinthenextlegofyourjourneythroughlife.Forus,thispartisbittersweet.Asyougoofftocollege,excitingnewworldswillopenuptoyou.Theywillinspireandchallengeyou;youwillgrowinincredibleways.Thisisalsoamomentofsadness.Yourdeparturetocollegemakesitundeniablyclearthatyouarenolongerachild.Therehasbeennogreaterjoythanwatchingyouarriveatthismoment.Youhaveturnedourgreatestchallengeintoourgreatestpride.Althoughwehavebroughtyoutothispoint,itishardtowatchyoudepart.Rememberaboveallthings,wewillmissyou.Collegewillbethemostimportanttimeofyourlife.Itisherethatyouwilltrulydiscoverwhatlearningisabout.Youoftenask,WhydoIneedtoknowthis?Iencourageyoutostayinquisitive,butrememberthis:Educationiswhatremainsafteronehasforgotteneverythinghelearnedinschool.Whatyoulearnisnotasimportantasthefactthatyoulearn.Thisistheheartofscholarship:movingfromteacher-taughttomaster-inspired,onovertothepointwhereyoubecomeaself-learner.So,takeeachsubjectseriously,andifsomethingdoesn'timmediatelyengageyou,don'tdespair.Embraceitasachallenge.Findawaytomakeityourown.?Ofcourse,youmuststilltakecaretosignupforcourseswhichstimulateyourpassionandyourintellectualcapacity.Don'tbeboundbywhatotherpeoplethink.SteveJobssaid,whenyouareincollege,yourpassionwillcreatemanydots,andlaterinyourlifeyouwillconnectthem.So,don'tworrytoomuchaboutwhatjobyouwillhave;don'tbetoopractical.IfyoulikeFrenchorKorean,studyitevenifsomeoneelsetellsyouthatit'snotuseful.Enjoypickingyourdots.Beassuredthatoneday,youwillfindyourownmeaningfulcareer,andyouwillconnectabeautifulcurvethroughthosedots.?Youknowthatwealwayswantyoutodoyourbest,butdon'tletthepressureofgradesgettoyou.Wecareonlythatyoutryyourverybest,andthatyoulearn.Itisbetterthatyourgreatesteffortearnsalessergradethanthatnoeffortearnsyouadecentorhighergrade.Gradesintheendaresimplylettersfittogivethevainsomethingtoboastabout,andthelazysomethingtofear.Youaretoogoodtobeeither.TherewardisnotthegradebutwhatyoulearnMoreimportantly,makefriendsandtrustothers.Thefriendsyoumakeincollegecanbethebestonesyouwilleverhave.Duringtheseyears,whenyoumoveintoadulthood,thefriendsyoumakeincollegeliveclosertoyouthanyourfamily.Youwillformbondsoffriendshipthatwillblossomovermanydecades.Pickfriendswhoaregenuineandsincere.Selectafewandbecometrulyclosetothem.Don'tworryabouttheirhobbies,grades,orlooks.Instead,trustyourinstinctswhenyoumakenewfriends.Youareagenuineandsincereperson;anyonewouldenjoyyourfriendship.Sobeconfident,secure,andproactive.Ifyouthinkyoulikesomeone,tellthem.Youhaveverylittletolose.Don'tbeafraidtotrust.Giveothersthebenefitofthedoubt,anddon'treduceanyonetostereotypes.Nobodyisperfect;aslongasothersaregenuine,trustthemandbegoodtothem.Theywillgiveback.Rememberalsothatyouryouthisfullofstrengthandbeauty,somethingthatyouwillnotcomprehenduntilitisgone.Youmustguardandcultivateyourstrengthandbeauty.Ahealthybodyandasoundmindarethegreatestinstrumentsyouwilleverpossess.Enjoylife.Danceifyoufeellikeit.Don'tbeafraidofwhatotherpeoplethink.Butalsokeepyourselfsafeandsound.Don'tlettherangeofnewexperiencestakeyourinnocence,health,orcuriosityawayfromyou.Treasureyouryouthandtheuniversityexperiencebeforeyou.,Collegeisthetimewhenyouhave:thefirsttasteofindependence,thegreatestamountoffreetime,themostflexibilitytochange,thelowestcostformakingmistakes.Approachtheseyearsenthusiastically!Makethemostofyourtime.Becomethegreatthinkeryouwereborntobe.Letyourtalentsevolvetotheirfullestpotential.Bebold!Experiment!Learnandgrow!Weareenormouslyproudthatyou'vemadeitthisfar,andwecan'twaittoseewhatyouwillbecome.YourfatherUnit2TimeslowsdownDaddy,let'stakeawalk.It'sanAprildayinVirginia.Henods,putshishandsonthearmsofhiswheelchair,whisperssomethingthatmakeslittlesense.Itrytohelphimup,butheistooheavyandlimp.Comeforawalk,andthen-I'vebroughtyouasurprise.Thewhitecurtainssurgeinthebreeze.Shivering,hecomplainsit'schilly.It'scold,I'mtired.Can'twegohomenow?Suddenlywe'refarawayinatimelongpastinpartofaharborI'veneverseenbefore.December,Chicago,I'mfive,andcold.Onegloveislost.Myfeetaretired.Hislegsarelonger;hestridesquicklythroughmeltingsnow,towardbuildingslikeairplaneshedswithimmensedoors.ThisisthemostexcitingplaceIhaveeverbeen.Suddenlymyfatigueisgone.Icouldwalkalonghereforever,atleastuntilIfindouthowtogetaboardoneoftheboats.Weslowdownourpace.Smallershedsnow.Agreendiner.Smellsoffishandsmoke.Weenteralittlehut.Barrelsofsaltywater,stringbagsofshellfish,bundlesoffishlaidoutonice.Daddy,lookatthatsnake!No,that'saneel,saysDaddy.Smoked.We'lltakeaportionhomeforsupper.Icertainlywon'teatthat!Allright,hesays,andcarriesthesmellypackage.Aswewalkback,hetellsmeaboutmigrationsofeelstotheSargassoSea:howeelscomedownDalmatianriversandswimacrosstheMediterraneanandthenthewholeAtlantic,untiltheyreachthewarmSargassoSea.Heretheylaytheireggs,andthenthebabyeelsswimbacktothenativeriversoftheirparents.Backatlastintheapartment,heunwrapstheeel,openshispocketknifeandslicescarefully.Iwon'teatit,Isaysuspiciously.Tryonebite,justforme.Iwon'tlikeit.Whilehehangsupourcoats,Itestonepinch.Smelly,smoky,andsal