Past, Present and Future - The Road Not Taken

Over the last 3 days I attended 3 different functions that brought back memories from different stages of my life, allowed me to reflect on where we are, and inspired me to think about the future of our next generation.

Columbia Univeristy Alumni Dinner - Monday night I attended a small dinner of 14 alumni from my Alma mater, many of whom I had not seen since graduation 22 years ago!!! It was a stirring trip down memory lane, if only if my memory wasn't fading ever so gradually, as evidenced by my inability to recall some of their names. The remarkable thing was that virtually everyone looked the same, which is an anomaly as the conventional wisdom of reunion is that most people would have gained 20 lbs or lost all their hair, some 2 decades later! As we busily got caught up with each others' lives and with others we no longer are in touch with (who married well and who did not, how many kids, how many divorces, etc etc), I can't help but marvel at the divergent courses we each took in life that led us to where we are today, and what our future holds in another 22 years? Most of the folks at the dinner are married with kids, some have jobs that they love, hate, endure, tolerate, or left. Interesting though we pay less attention to the station we are at (our jobs) as oppose to the nurturing of the future generation (children). I was the only lady of leisure, unmarried, no kids (a.k.a. unemployed, no husband, and no one to nurture), the utter dichotomy of my female peers that evening, working moms who relentlessly multi-task daily to maintain their homes, develop their careers and raise their children. I tip my hat in deference to these trailblazers.

Goldman Sachs Alumnae Dinner - Tuesday evening marked a reunion of sort with an all female cast of 5 former GS alumnae. All left GS arguably at the top of their games to pursue different agenda: to focus on their families (then back to work), to join the buy-side with even greater responsibilities, or to simply smell the roses. One of my former colleagues truly became a lady of leisure for the past 3 years and now exploring opportunities to get back into the adrenaline laden world of finance that she loves. I must say the collective intellectual capital and sheer unbridled drive of the women at the table was formidable and infectious, it makes one proud to have been a GS alum. The biggest take away from dinner was that never ever misbehave in this business (particularly as a woman), one does not want to be remembered as anything but professional and well respected by others.

Nephew's "Moving UP" Ceremomy - Today I attended my 10 year old nephew's "Moving Up" ceremony, immortalizing the first milestone of moving schools from elementary (5th grade) to middle school (6th grade). I asked my nephew how he feels about moving up, he remarked that he is glad he is leaving to go to a new school. I remember I had "growing-up angst" associated with a certain school or period of my life and I am delighted that the young now quickly embrace changes and welcome the new!! The assistant principal gave a speech on Robert Frost's poem "The Road Not Taken" (commonly misremembered as The Road Less Traveled) and highlighted that one should pursue one’s true passions, not what is popular at the time; and one should always do the right thing. I thought it was well said, though I wonder how many 5th graders truly comprehend his message fully.

I leave you with Frost’s poem:

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.