A Different Perspective

Last night I was craving something cold. I had just gotten my wisdom teeth out in the morning and had been in a state of aching pain ever since. Since I was taking drugs that would not allow me to drive my youngest brother and I, Stuart, set out on foot for the nearby gas station for some milkshakes. As we were walking away from our dead-end drive he mentioned the stars and how people in the Southern Hemisphere were looking at different ones. I began to think about different perspectives and how even though he and I were staring at the same open sky, we were going down two totally different tracks of thought.

I tried to imagine how he viewed the stars, and what I saw in them when I was his age. I wonder if he wanted to paint them and all their beauty, or if the fascination had already worn off. With two older siblings Stu has grown up a lot faster than I did.

Since arriving to college I have worried a considerable amount more. I used to see the stars as a portal for inspiration when I was a freshman in high school. They allowed my mind to wander to the places I planned on visiting when I was able. Egypt. Brazil. Germany. I was so naive to think that if I simply worked hard enough all of these things would come to me.

Now, the night sky is only an indication that the time is getting late, and if I want to sleep at all I should start writing faster.

Many things about college is like jumping into a freezing cold lake of reality. Some people are prepared, others have not even dipped in their toes. It wakes you up, invigorates you, and numbs you to your core. Sometimes we find it refreshing and necessary, other times it's an unexpected wake up call.

Initially last night when I looked at the stars I did not see them. I was too busy worrying about my final grades, the aching pain of my wisdom teeth, and getting ready for work tomorrow. Like a typical adult I let my worries cloud my vision. Will that never change? Only if I allow it to.