The Observer, February 22, 2008
Volume XL, Issue 18
Worst Case Scenario
I've decided to live at the Mongolian Barbeque restaurant. This decision has come after a lot of deliberation, which began this morning when I woke up inside the ice cube that my small rented room has become. Let me back up a little bit. A few weeks ago, my roommate and I received our January heating bill, and, after recovering from the shock, decided that either the heat had to go or we did. Our apartment has felt like a snow cave ever since.
As I shivered my way to class this morning, I decided that this had to end. I had to find a warmer place to live. Unfortunately, my financial interests are a bit tied up in my off-campus apartment, so this new living arrangement had to be free. Being familiar with many of the nooks and crannies on campus, I was fairly certain that by the end of the day, I would have discovered somewhere that could accommodate my needs.
The first place I tried was a dud. I didn't really hold up that much hope that I could get in the small basement door of the Mather Dance Studio Building, the one surrounded by fans that blast hot air onto the sidewalk year round. I imagined that if I could only get in, I would be basking in warmth forever. But it was not to be, and I fear that campus security is now officially aware of my long-held dream of exploring the tunnels rumored to lurk under the campus.
My next choice was Thwing. The problem was there were a lot of people roaming around my new house. There were meetings being held in my napping corners, freshmen scurrying around with overpriced books for classes that no longer apply to their majors, and even one cheery interloper whistling his way to class. This would never do.
After a disappointing day, I finally wound up at Mongolian Barbeque. Even as I approached, I could sense there was something different about this place – it smelled delicious, and it seemed to radiate heat – they even had a huge, steaming grill, perfect for warming frozen fingers. But looking back, there was a big problem there. I ate a lot. A whole lot. If I lived at Mongolian Barbeque, I would perpetually feel like my stomach was going to explode. And between that feeling, and being cold until summer, I had to choose the solution that would keep me under 500 pounds. So I'm back again, freezing, as I type this article in my frigid apartment. I guess there's no place like home…
At some point or another, we'll all come up with a reason why we want to move out, leave our houses, and our roommates, and never return. The trouble is, when we leave looking for sometime better, we oftentimes realize how good we had it in the first place. As I looked for a warmer place today, I couldn't help but think about the people who lack shelter, much less central heating and opportunity for education.
In my search for better heating, I had ignored all of the things that already allow me to thrive rather than just survive. There are many people who would be happy with less than what I have. I decided to start noticing them. After all that trouble, simply taking my focus off of myself ended up working the best. Even though nothing external has changed, I feel warmer already.
