reflection at night
February 10, 2003 4:18 a.m.
"Mark:Valentine's Day...Pan across the empty lot. Roger's down at Mimi's where he's been for almost two months - tho' he talks about selling his guitar and getting out of here. (Still jealous of Benny)... God knows where Collins and Angel are...Could be that new Shanty Town by the river or a suite at the Plaza...Maureen and Joanne are rehearsing. That is if they're speaking this week...Me? I'm here. Nowhere."
-Jonathan Larson, "Rent"
I think that if Jonathan Larson were still alive, he would have to look no further for new material than the nearest college dorm. The richness of life here is often overwhelming, often aggravating, and, most of the time, extremely rewarding. Nowhere else have I managed to learn so much about myself while having to little time to myself.
Adults will tell you, "College is a learning experience," and "These are the best moments of you life, treasure them...." But I don't think they realize how true their words are. I have learned much more than what my professors have taught me. And there is no doubt in my mind that the memories I am making day by day will help shape the rest of my life. In between classes and homework, we practice group dynamics and self-presentaion. We label ourselves and each other only to try and break out of those labels the very next day. We go with the flow and fight the tide of mediocrity. We love and hate, become callous and caring, and somehow find ourselves in a place where it is staggeringly easy to lose yourself.
Every time I leave campus, I find myself longing to return, because I know that I can't waste these days. They are so numbered, and, in the long run, so few, that each day with it's trials, tribulations, and victories, is worth my full motivation and dedication. I am learning much more than I ever thought could be taught, and I am beginning to see how little of it I am learning in class.
