Shake the Grass

Senior design is coming up, and I'm excited about the possibilities for our iDEA (Incubator Designed for Emerging Areas) in the future. Hopefully, my incredible teammates will be able to take it to Haiti and install it in the Albert Schweitzer hospital this summer. It's been a whirlwind couple of weeks, and frankly I'm amazed we were able to get to the point we're at. I knew we could do it as a team, but when I pushed everyone to get on board with the project in the fall I had no idea (no pun intended) how far they'd be able to get. I really didn't expect to be thinking about shipping something down so soon.
The design project isn't the only thing taking up time, though. I've been working on growing those yummy neuron donuts for Henry Zeringue, and taking care of all the rest of my classes, working on Engineers Without Borders stuff, all the while preparing to go to Africa for two months. With my decision not to apply to medical school this year, things are slightly less stressful, but the work still feels like it takes up nearly every second of night and day. If I didn't have Bailey around in every project and in every class, I'm frankly not sure how I could manage it.

I stumbled on to this poem. It's by Ezra Pound. I don't know anything about Mr. Pound other than that my grandmother likes his poetry, and Gregory liked his poetry for about a week.

And the days are not full enough
And the nights are not full enough
And life slips by like a field mouse
               Not shaking the grass.

Why does this poem resonate with me so strongly? Now, when every moment of my day seems filled with something I love, with work that is meaningful, which could impact the world in a very real, concrete way? Why does it still feel as though some fear is holding me back? Why has the work gradually become empty?

If the world were filled with people who not only knew what the right thing to do was, but were brave enough to do it, I think amazing things could happen. I'll try to live that out, but it's got to be Gratiae Dei, because of myself I have no strength.