As a kid, Schmidt thought that he was special, that somehow "destiny has tagged him to be a great man". He planned to start a business after graduation and build it up into a Fortune 500 public listed company. It didn't quite work out that way. He became instead, the Assistant Vice President and actuary for an insurance company. He had job security and a commitment to the well-being of his family. He retires and he realises that his life has meant nothing; that he has not made a difference.

I remember watching About Schmidt for the first time a few years back when I was just right out of high school. It was weird that as an 18 year-old, I could relate to what Schmidt, a 66 year-old retiree, is going through; it was as if I had been in his shoes. Fast-forward 3 years and here I am working towards becoming an actuary, applying for summer internships, the drudgery of which has made me less in-tune to my dreams and what I'm really passionate about. It's sad.