The Observer, March 2, 2007
Volume XXXIX, Issue 19
A Fresh Perspective: With passage of time comes change
Time. It is an ambiguous creature, flowing supremely slow and mind-numbingly fast, occasionally all in the same day. We humans dream of changing it: traveling backwards, or stopping time in its tracks, but to no avail. Time is unchangeable, immovable, and unstoppable.
These facts are simply being reinforced over and over again this semester. As I write this, February is drawing to a close, meaning that winter break was almost a full two months ago. And by the time you are reading this article, February will have ended and March will have begun, bringing us closer and closer to the end of this semester. The graduating seniors will be one week closer to the end of their undergraduate careers, and the rest of us will be one week closer to our next year.
A few friends and I were talking one night last week about how incredibly fast this semester has gone in comparison to the last one. The fact that we are going to be sophomores in a matter of months completely blew us away. A common theme was how everyone's college friends from last year would come home to visit, saying that the second semester flew by. It never really sank in for any of us; we all believed that our entire first year would sort of drag on and that we would be excited to get it over with. That is definitely not the case.
I am extremely excited for next year. I will be getting deeper into my major, taking classes that will challenge and enlighten me. I will also be living in a suite set-up, with some of my closer friends, which is infinitely nicer than the community bathrooms and random housing assignments freshmen get stuck with.
But I am still wary of letting this year fall away. It has been incredibly educational and transforming in many ways. I've made so many new friends and learned so much about myself. I'm going to miss the routine that has been created; knowing when everybody is free for lunch and dinner and having all of my friends on one side of campus. The campus split next year is going to be very hard, as my floor is being split into our Northside group and our Southside group.
However, the inevitable must come eventually. No matter how much I may resist, next year is coming, faster and faster. But I view this as a good thing. It forces me to look at the positives of change, not to dwell on what I will be leaving behind.
Viewing time this way, as opposed to the bandit cliché, is a much more enlightening and positive way in which to look at time. If we view time as a helper that forces us to focus on the pros of change instead of a bandit, which steals away our moments and our days, we will have much better outlooks on life.
It all goes back to the old saying, "If you can't beat it, join it." We can't defeat or control time, so why not just go along with it?
Hershberger is a freshman Communication Sciences major involved with University Singers and Marching Band.
