博文
大学生退学让父母头痛
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大学生退学和Billy Joel的My Life
2007.06.18
头痛的父母
昨天一位我妈以前的学生，我小学同学的姐姐打电话给我讲她北京一所不错的大学一年级的儿子要退学重考的事。这小子两个月前已经被我说服不退了，现在又反复起来，看来真是不到黄河不死心。我也没辙了。
我最近已经听说好几起周围认识的家庭中的大学生在一、二年级退学或休学的事情。其中的具体原因各不相同，但基本上都是因为现在的学校或专业不能激起自己的兴趣，或者有心理障碍，不能集中精力，等等。
我上大学时曾经打算休学一年，学点别的。结果还没有到让父母头痛的程度，就被系主任俞老师好歹劝住了。看来我的叛逆性还很不够强。
退学不是什么新鲜事
退学不是新鲜事儿，关键是要值得！
退学重考是中国的特色。我觉得一点都不值得。
因为现在社会中的选择远比20年前我上大学的时候多，所以，退学本身可能不是多么大不了的事，何况还有Bill Gates这样的榜样在前头照耀着。如果一个人真有创造性，能够引导未来的潮流，是没有人能够真正引导他的。不过，如果想法不对，并不是谁都能像Bill Gates一样成功，搞得不好会吃更多的苦头。
我只能说，Bill Gates不常有，但倒霉的Gatsby却很多。我为那些有能力和愿望永往直前的年轻人喝彩，但我也会为更多莽莽撞撞而失败的他们而惋惜。
今天的中国，是年轻人冒险的时代，是镀金的时代，是生活方式与道德文化发生急剧变化的时代。现在我们发现了谁对生活和未来都没有简单的答案。这既让我们激动和亢奋，也让我们感到十分的焦虑和不安。
但是，退学重考是啥玩意儿呢？
Bill Gates浪子归来
我很喜欢Billy Joel的那首My life。
这首Billy Joel在1978年的专辑52nd Street中的主打歌曲，和Big Shot还有Honesty等一道，使得52nd Street成为Billy Joel的第一张销量排名第一的唱片，销量很快就高达700万张。52nd Street是纽约Manhattan中城的世界上最著名的爵士乐表演集散地，我的一副吉他和不少乐谱就是在那一带买的。
YouTube上Billy Joel的My Life视屏：http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-3enjfQyuE
My Life这首歌非常讲的是美国东部的年轻人到西海岸去闯荡天下的情怀。远不象1980年代初崔健的那首《一无所有》那样黏黏乎乎，欲说还休，而是完全的义无反顾，潇洒得就像罗大佑的《恋曲1980》一样。
Bill Gates在1975年从Harvard辍学的时候，也是这种情怀。
下面这张照片是Microsoft初创时候的所有员工的照片。谁会想到他们中的两位会成为世界上最富有和最有影响的人物呢？前排一左一右的两个辍学的小瘪三就是当今世界上的两个首富Bill Gates和Paul Allen。当然也别忘了，其中也有好几位是很早就退出了Microsoft，一点财富都没有赚到的。Bill Gates不仅自己从Harvard辍学，还鼓动了Steve Ballmer从Harvard商学院退学。后来Ballmer也成了Microsoft的总裁。32年过去，弹指一挥间。上个礼拜Bill Gates在Harvard接受名誉博士学位，他的那番演讲很值得每一个人聆听。
Microsoft最早的全家福
其实，从Harvard退学创业，Bill Gates远远不是始作俑者。早在美国上一个镀金时代（Gilded Age）的1926年，Edwin H. Land从Harvard二年级退学后，就到纽约市的公共图书馆自己教育自己，还到Columbia大学物理系偷偷地做他的偏光片的实验。后来他不仅发展了彩色理论，创立了Polaroid公司，还发明了立时拍照相技术，成为一代高技术产业的巨子。1957年，他辍学31年后，Harvard也授予了他荣誉博士学位。
我上周在互联网上听Bill Gates的演讲，看到当年那个勇往直前地叛逆和自称anti-social的Bill Gates，现在思考的全是对世界的责任和对贫穷的拯救。这也是一种回归吗？
Billy Joel的回归
Billy Joel从My Life的回归，是他差不多20年后的那首优美异常的Lullaby。
我对自己说，My Life是我年轻时的梦，Lullaby是现在我在深夜看见在睡梦中的女儿所感受到的现实。听完这两首，就不可不听Billy Joel的那首充满神秘而且满心欢喜的The River of Dreams。
YouTube上Billy Joel的Lullaby：http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LraZEoRnkPc&mode=related&search=
YouTube上Billy Joel的The River of Dreams: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNS4pV9Pls0&mode=related&search=
所以，年轻人要折腾，就让他们去折腾吧！总比他们老了不死心还瞎折腾要强得多。
*********************************************************************
My Life歌词
Artist:Billy Joel
Got a call from an old friend
We used to be real close
Said he couldn't go on the American way
Closed the shop, sold the house
Bought a ticket to the West Coast
Now he gives them a stand-up routine in L.A.
I don't need you to worry for me cause I'm alright
I don't want you to tell me it's time to come home
I don't care what you say anymore, this is my life
Go ahead with your own life, and leave me alone
I never said you had to offer me a second chance
(I never said you had to)
I never said I was a victim of circumstance
(I never said)
I still belong, don't get me wrong
And you can speak your mind
But not on my time
They will tell you, you can't sleep alone in a strange place
Then they'll tell you, you can't sleep with somebody else
Ah, but sooner or later you sleep in your own space
Either way it's okay, you wake up with yourself
I don't need you to worry for me cause I'm alright
I don't want you to tell me it's time to come home
I don't care what you say anymore, this is my life
Go ahead with your own life, and leave me alone
I never said you had to offer me a second chance
(I never said you had to)
I never said I was a victim of circumstance
(Of cirumstance)
I still belong, don't get me wrong
And you can speak your mind
But not on my time
I don't care what you say anymore, this is my life
Go ahead with your own life, and leave me alone
(Keep it to yourself, it's my life.)
(Keep it to yourself, it's my life.)
(Keep it to yourself, it's my life.)
(Keep it to yourself, it's my life.)
*************************************************
Lullaby歌词
by Billy Joel
Good night my angel time to close you eyes
And save these questions for another day
I think I know what you've been asking me
I think you know what I've been trying to say
I promised I would never leave you
And you should always know
Where ever you may go
No matter where you are
I never will be far away
Good night my angel now it's time to sleep
And still so many things I want to say
Remember all the songs you sang for me
When we went sailing on an emerald bay
And like a boat out on the ocean
I'm rocking you to sleep
The water's dark and deep
Inside this ancient heart
You'll always be a part of me
(Musical Bridge)
Do do do do...
Goodnight my angel now it's time to dream
And dream how wondeful your life will be
Someday your child will cry and if you sing this lullaby
Then in your heart there will always be a part of me
Someday we'll all be gone
But lullabies go on and on
They never die that's how you and I will be
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