Day 97
It’s my birthday!
I can’t believe how quickly this year went by. It seems like just yesterday I was working on The Christmas Carol, heading to Loyola, receiving Mary’s UChicago shirt in the mail…
The acceleration of time is scary; how does it slip by without us noticing? Sometimes I wish I can stop it in its tracks—to preserve the here and now—or be able to revisit events in my life, because frankly, I don’t want to grow up. I understand that it’s inevitable, but why does the future have to creep up on us? I miss the days where I can spend my October weeknights watching Halloweentown or Hocus Pocus. Don’t get me wrong—I love college. The friends that I made are fantastic (last night they bought me a cake!), the workload isn’t that bad, and the freedom is great. But, I miss being a kid. I miss not having responsibilities, I miss the comfort of my home, and I miss those nights where I can put off Hamlet and read The Hunger Games or Percy Jackson instead.
I don’t want to lament over the past. Supposedly, my college years will be the best of my life, given they have a lot to live up to.
Alright, here’s what happened today: For my freshman seminar (“What is Culture?”) we travelled to NYC to visit the Museum of Natural History and the MET. But, instead of a tradition museum experience, we focused on the exhibits of the Northwest Coast. Most of the artifacts we observed were those of the Kwakiutal (Kwa-cute-al) and Kwakwaka’wakw (Kwalk-walk-ya-walk) Indians. We also studied how a natural history and fine arts museums present their displays. I’m not a huge fan of Native Americans; for whatever reason, I find it boring (I think it’s because they’re not exotic enough). But, I love museums, so I had to enjoy myself. Moreover, it’s NYC—if you’re miserable there, then you have a problem.
After, I came back to my room and slept for profane amount of time, especially for a Friday, and on my birthday. Now I’m just chilling in my room, watching The Walking Dead, and excited to see my friends at home tomorrow. Successful 19th birthday? I think so! Thankfully I’m easy to please.
-Ryan Feuer, 10/21/11
