Have you ever tried and failed to find the right words to describe something only to have someone else nail it perfectly? For one of my last posts I wanted to tell you how special Athens is and why I will probably never live outside of reasonable driving distance from the Classic City. I wanted to tell you why you should take the time to look around you every day because you will surely find something wonderful right in front of you. I wanted to tell you why I am so excited to be finished with school, but devastated to leave Athens. I wanted to describe to you why Athens is truly a one-of-a-kind place, but I couldn't find the right words.
Fortunately for me and you, Mark E. Murphy, a Savannah physician and writer, found the perfect words.
Read this Tumblr post.
Read it again.
Absorb it.
Now don’t you dare take your time in Athens for granted because while this crazy place is home for a few years, you’ll never forget it, the people you met here, or the great times you had.
I know I talked about cherishing your time at UGA in my last post, but it is an important enough point that I don’t feel bad about repeating myself.
If you ignored my demanding “Read it again.” At least re-read this part of Dr. Murphy’s fantastic post:
“I wanted to tell her that life was too short, that she should revel in this moment, that she should enjoy every second of college because she’s going to spend the rest of her life trying to get back to this point, right here. And she’ll fail, because once it’s over, it’s over. Everything else is an imitation, a sham, a mirage.”
Once it’s over, it’s over. Honestly, since I am so painfully close to graduation, that simple truth brings tears to my eyes.
It is hard to believe that my best friends will never live as close to me as they do right now. One is upstairs, a couple of them are around the corner, and another is a whole 7 minutes drive away in 5 Points.
It is hard to believe that once I have a full-time job I can’t take spontaneous road trips without worrying about any real responsibilities.
It is hard to believe that my days of sitting in Park Hall discussing Shakespeare, Chopin, Fitzgerald, and other literary legends are over.
It’s hard to believe, but it is what it is. Everything else is an imitation.
So, why am I depressing you with my nostalgia?
I think Billy Madison can sum it up:
So don't waste any time worrying about the details. Enjoy every second of your time at UGA. And yes I am aware of how much easier it is to say that than to actually do it, but try. Take classes you want to take, not because they are required, or because Koofers says it has a 3.9 average GPA, but because you are genuinely interested in that class. Have movie nights with your friends, go on random drives around town, go to dinner and have a real conversation about real things. Explore Athens. It has so much to offer aside from bars and a lot of it you may never see without making a little effort. Don't stress out too much about school. Seriously, don't. It's not worth it. Plus, in a couple of weeks or years, depending on how old you are, you probably won't even remember that test you are freaking out about right now.
Everything will work out in the end. It usually does, right? That's the main lesson I have learned from my time at UGA that I want to pass onto you. Everything will work out eventually. You just have to give it your best shot, give it time, and then enjoy the waiting line.
p.s. Go Dawgs.
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