Fiorentin Nacaj Introduction

Hi, my name is Fiorentin Nacaj. I am a sophomore here at NYU and I am planning on majoring in Economics. I am originally from Albania, but have lived in The Bronx for most of my life.

We have  intellectual experiences every day. A memorable intellectual experience for me was when I read Chuck Palahniuk's Fight Club. There is one moment in the novel when the main character, Tyler Durden holds a gun to a convenience store clerk who is waiting for the bus. Raymond K. Hessel (the clerk) is asked how he had wanted to spend his life. Raymond answers Tyler by saying he wanted to be a veterinarian but it was too much school. Tyler gave him two choices: either go back to school and become a veterinarian or get shot at that bus stop. This is an extreme situation but it made me think about times that I avoid certain decisions or situations because either I am too comfortable or because it is a frightening thought. It's amazing how motivated a person can become when there is a gun (or even a metaphorical gun) pointed at their head. Even though this scene did not change my life per say, it did make me think about what I avoid because of the thought that "there's always tomorrow." From time to time, whenever I am struggling with a decision or when I avoid certain things, I imagine myself as Raymond Hessel staring at the barrel of a gun and sure enough, I make the necessary decision that I thought I couldn't make.