By Elizabeth Newby, Columnist
I’ve come to perfect the phrase, “But I’m in college” in the past few years.
It’s basically an excuse for anything you would ever want to get away with. I’ve skipped so many family gatherings because “I’m in college.” I’ve conveniently forgotten birthdays and weaseled money from my parents because “I’m broke.”
College is a good reason to essentially do anything you want except, like rage through the streets and declare anarchy or something. I don’t know, though.
I could probably still come up with some lofty explanation of how academia has freed me of all social constraints. See, “But I’m in college” excuses anything.
Well, that’s what I thought until last week when I got a phone call from my Dad. I almost didn’t answer it because, you know, “I’m in college,” but I had an interesting class discussion that day, and I ate a weird sandwich for lunch. I figured I’d bore him with some mundane details and he’d tell me about work, which would make me good-to-go for like four more days.
But that’s not what he wanted to talk about. You see, my aunt is sick. Like, really sick. He called me to tell me that things had taken a turn for the worse, and she probably wouldn’t be alive for much longer.
That’s when I realized that my clever excuse was really just pathetic. Instead of just doing what I want, I’ve actually deprived myself of spending time with people that are really important to me. I’m led to wonder if any of this really matters at all, that I’ve detached myself from reality to the extent that I’m just living in some sort of self-centered fantasyland.
I start feeling like I should focus on the reality of every situation. Like I should act like Michael in The Godfather and do what’s best for my family, even if it means busting a few caps and spending a few years in hiding in the old country for my transgressions. Because life is about sacrifice. Because life is about doing what you don’t want to do.
But that feels wrong, like I’m letting the bad in life win. And I’m left to resort to the literature I’ve studied here at OCU, the life of the great romantic poet John Keats.
Keats lived a short life constantly surrounded by heartache and sickness, and yet his poetry is anything but dismal.
Instead, he chose to focus on the beauty of life. His poetry showcases the few pleasures in life that he could enjoy.
Or even consider The Notorious B.I.G. Although his music centered around the hardships of life, arguably his greatest achievement “Juicy” states that in spite of all of his struggles, “It’s still all good.”
So instead of remembering the time I didn’t spend with my aunt while I was in college, I’ll remember the times she picked me up after school and cooked me dinner. Or when we would listen to my favorite Garth Brooks tape together in her car. And instead of saying “But I’m in college,” I’ll pick up the phone every once in a while.
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