Can you count to infinity?

After 50 High School Blurs

There was this kid in high school, I will never forget. At this point in my life, I am ashamed to admit, high school is a blur. I can literally count on my one hand kids that I will never forget, for one reason or another. Quite pitiful, isn’t it? That time period in which I was so absorbed with my appearance and when friends meant EVERYTHING, can be reduced to my five fingers. And one of those five fingers is allotted to the kid I mentioned above, who wasn’t even a friend and was barely an acquaintance.

I even remember his name, Tony. I rarely interacted with him. I’m sure he wouldn’t even remember my name or my presence. In fact, he is likely sitting somewhere busy in his world and has absolutely no idea that someone out there is remembering him. That thought leads me to wonder how many people could be sitting out there remembering me at this moment.

Tony’s Mysterious Briefcase

So, Tony was the classic nerd type. He carried a large, black briefcase with him to school, which pretty much singled him out right there. I always wondered what exactly he had inside that thing. Anyway, the reason why he is so memorable to me is that he claimed that he could count to infinity. I’m totally serious. He insisted that he could count to infinity. I asked him one day how he could do that and he said he would just start counting and never stop. I told my mom and she said, “Don’t make fun of him. He’s probably a genius.”

I still don’t understand why people assume that attempting the impossible equals genius. There are two kinds of impossible. The impossible that is actually probable, if you work very hard to achieve it and the impossible that is down right IMPOSSIBLE, like counting to infinity.

Focus on the Attainable

Infinity implies that there is no end. You could count to your deathbed, to your last breath, and there would still be counting to do. You would have counted your entire life and still not achieved your goal. How depressing. Its much like saying that Objective Reality does exist. Reality exists because we perceive it. Perceiving it makes it immediately subjective. We can attempt objectivity, but the truth is our perceptions will always be bound. Better to accept the impossible and focus on the attainable. This very well may be the only life we get.

There are two kinds of impossible. The impossible that is actually probable, if you work very hard to achieve it and the impossible that is down right IMPOSSIBLE, like counting to infinity.

~Marlyn