Congratulations! You made it! It is Thanksgiving Break 2007. If you are still a student at Ball State University, then chances are that you will make it through the entire semester, something not all students do. It is not going to be a yellow brick road, though, it will still be challenging.
Most students have more things on their plate this time of year than a fat kid at King's Buffet. That doesn't mean that he shouldn't chow down. It is time to actually be a student and actually try to learn whatever you can. Enjoy all of the endeavors that you will be involved in during the next few weeks.
It is not only students that face adversity, even Happy Friday Guy goes down at times. Here's a true, little inspirational story about Ball State's favorite superhero.
On my way to class last Friday, I walked down the same route that I always do. I walked down McKinley Avenue and passed the L.A. Pittenger Student Center on my left on my way towards Teachers College. Unfortunately, on this particular day, something was terribly, terribly wrong.
On this day, Happy Friday Guy's motorized scooter was broken. As I passed him he sat on the ground attempting fruitlessly to fix his injured vehicle. I walked on by toward TC wondering if he planned on going to buy a new scooter, taking his to a shop, or regretfully, not making his tour of the day. Just as I finally decided that he would probably get it fixed and then come out later in the day, I saw him speed by me.
I listened but did not hear the motor for his scooter. He had disconnected the electric and pushed it on through all by his strength.
Not surprisingly, as he rolled through campus no one was the wiser about his scooter problems. People just cheered for him and he cheered back.
Everyone should be like Happy Friday Guy. Especially during this stressful time of year in which midterms and sicknesses abound. There are two choices. Turn around and go home, or keep pushing through campus, cheering the whole way through.
We are all going to hit those bumps along the way, but just like Happy Friday Guy, if we get over it and keep pushing, then the ends will show our strengths.
The main objective for all students during this last stretch of the semester is to simply survive. It is no secret that the only way to do so is by help from ourselves and help from others. Time and again, we can find ourselves lying on the cement waiting for the motor to simply and miraculously turn back on. It is not going to happen.
Step up and make sure that you are in perfect position to make it through the semester; dying off is the worst possible thing that you can do.
No one is immune to failure, and everyone has their weakness. The key to both is the creativity and drive to sail through it successfully. Congrats on being almost there, and chow down on all that there is left.
Write to Ray at rchart@bsu.edu
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