A friend wrote me a handwritten letter because he doesn’t like email much.

When I opened up my mailbox that day, it was more exciting than that time when I got email. …Oh wait, I get dozens every day.

There’s no date on the letter, but I think I received it some time in January or February. On April 15th, I sat down to write back. I had kept putting it off because I didn’t have the patience to focus on one thing for more than a few minutes at a time.

The thought of settling my mind is daunting. Quantity and fluidity has become everything. I dodge in between subjects, flirting with them and riffling through the peripheries, but mastery and one-minded focus is no longer the motive or goal.

I had a discussion with a friend once. About specialization vs. width of experience. I wanted to use my college experience to gain exposure to take a diverse range of classes. He wanted to put all his efforts into one.

He had a good point: The future of the job force lies in teamwork. You don’t need to know more than one field to be part of the team.

I’d rather be the one that assembles the team. I need to know a little bit of everything to be able to do that.

I eventually finished the letter on May 1st (in two separate writings). It slowed me down when I didn’t want to slow down. But then again, balance is key.