Regarding my earlier post about how

I’ve learned since graduation that one should never take for granted that

success is going to come easy for you because you’re smart, a thoughtful

reader writes about hard-won wisdom:

Rod, this post in the Corner hits home for me. I spent some time in the hospital recently for drinking, and looking back on things I had been one of the brainier kids in school but I’ve done pretty much zero with it. Which means I feel like I have one hell of a lot of catching up to do, and a responsibility to contribute something to society other than just having a job and paying taxes. I’m not exactly sure what it is I’ll end up doing, some volunteer work of some kind for sure, but it will be something I (now) wish I had done all along. To me, smart doesn’t mean s–t. What’s important is to do something with your life no matter what God/Yahweh/Not Really Sure has seen fit to deposit in your melon. … I’m reminded of one of the girls I graduated high school with. A bright girl, but she had a tougher time picking things up than most of the college-bound dorks. I used to give her a hard time sometimes, good-naturedly, and she was always a good sport. I wish I had been a little more understanding then. She now has a PhD. I think she won.