The idea of dying has scared people throughout history. It was that fear that led kings, emperors, and scholars to desire the Philosopher's Stone. This pursuit led to the foundation of chemistry. Because of this, I find it quite ironic that a chemist would ever need to write a bucket list. I suspect that many people struggle to quantify the aspirations of one’s life.
As a future chemical engineer I have always had but one goal in life: being kind. This goal is the result of the near death experiences I have had early in life. Because of these experiences, I have learned to see the great joys of living in the moment. Yet this trait is not unique in my family; instead, it is cultured and grown. My goal in life is to be kind at the moment because kindnesses, unlike achievements, do not fade into the background; they multiply. I know this because the stories from my family tree are not stories of success but stories about how everyday kindnesses propagate. Those family stories of kindness came from my grandfather who would spend hours comforting me; from my great grandfather who fought to end segregation in Texas schools; and from my fourth great grandfather who worked to end slavery in Cuba. I want to be kind like these men because even though their accomplishments were grand—the chief pilot of American Airlines, the superintendent of Duncanville Texas, and the first governor of Havana, Cuba—they are remembered today for their kindness not for their other accomplishments. Thus my goal is to be like them. For me the destination is only important if I can be proud of the journey.
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