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11

Some of the opportunities I took for little or

no money turned out to be the ones that made

the difference on my application at Virginia

Tech. I don’t want to make it sound like this

opportunity came overnight, and it absolutely

didn’t, but recalibrating my attitude definitely

put me in position to capitalize on some on my

hibernating abilities.

I never want this want space to feel

“preachy,” and in no way is this column meant

to imply that I have balanced my life like a

checkbook and everything stands square—not

even close. You see, coming to Blacksburg

wasn’t the finish line. I hadn’t made it.

It represented the starting line, and an

opportunity to make the struggle worth it. My

initial pursuit dug me a hole, whereas others

my age found themselves in much better

position. This role provided me a shovel.

I have made strides, and my progress now

allows me to appreciate the past. I learned to

do whatever it takes, no matter how long it

takes, in that decade. That serves me well here

because, believe me, the challenges continue,

but I stop, partially, and make the necessary

time for Renée and my family and friends. I

appreciate their patience through the years

and still now because I still struggle.

This leads me to the reason for this topic

because, as I discover at the end of most of

these columns, I write this as a reminder to

myself. We just finished the busiest portion

of our year, the football/basketball crossover.

The physical challenge rarely wears on me.

The emotional one tends to get me.

In this time, there are choices to be made

in terms of time management. I find it hard

to be all-in in two places at once—maybe

impossible. You can’t be at football and

basketball practice at the same time, and I find

Christmas shopping from Hahn Hurst or the

Beamer Barn to be futile. Wedding planning

also takes a hit in terms of priority this time

of the year. It grates on me to miss things. It

always has. This time of year, I miss a lot.

So the lesson for myself—and maybe you,

too—is that balance remains a pursuit. We

never hold total possession of it. We only need

to be diligent in our daily pursuit. I plan to get

better at that this year, as I like to think I did

last year.

See, you thought this was going to be a

column about balancing the run game with

the pass, and you got Christmas shopping

and wedding planning! Thanks, as always, for

bearing with me. Happy New Year, Hokies!

Cheers to the year ahead!

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Life is a constant

balancing act, and

as the new year gets

rolling along, the

Voice of the Hokies,

Jon Laaser, urges

fans to be diligent in

their daily pursuit

of balance.