Stability
Senior Music Education Major Sydney Johnson helped us have empathy for our fellow Jimmies.
When I arrived back on campus for the 2nd semester, I was anticipating the immense joy I experience every time I drive through the main entrance and into the Prentice Hall parking lot. There’s something about this place. I’ve always known that. I mean why else would I have come here in the first place? I didn’t realize the power of a community until I arrived back on campus.
That past Christmas break held a lot of dear moments for me. I spent priceless time with my family, I was able to catch up with friends I haven’t talked to in literally years, and most importantly I was able to reflect on that upcoming semester.
I started to think about what my goals and plans are for those next few months. I realized that I had a lot to do! Probably the most I’ve ever taken on. But…I also realized that I am surrounded by the people I know will get me through those next few weeks, months, and years. I was finally able to come up with a word that describes this in a nutshell: stability.
Before that last summer I was completely unaware of what it felt like to have an unstable life. Everything in my life was peachy. The relationships I had with people were exactly how I wanted them to be and I didn’t understand what it meant to feel like when everything in your life was crumbling.
As you’re reading this, I want you to remember that pain is relative. Let me explain.
If a baby is crying because they got their toy taken away from them, they may be experiencing the same kind of pain as a person going through a divorce. Stay with me. Of course, these two situations are completely different and to our eyes, a divorce is much harder to deal with than a baby getting their toy taken away. But a baby doesn’t know what a divorce is. Just like I don’t know what it’s like to lose a parent. Or be diagnosed with breast cancer. But I do know that everyone is going through something difficult in their life right now. Even if it’s as simple as a broken phone…they are still upset about something. There is no reason for anyone to judge or compare their own pain with another’s. Pain is relative.
Yes, I would say that I experienced a hard summer that last year and that winter had been filled with ups and downs. However, I was reminded every time I come back to Jamestown I have stability in my life. I have professors that care about the work I put into their classes. I have friends that want to talk to me about events happening in my life. I had janitors that cleaned the building I lived in. I have a God that was willing to provide a helping hand when I fell down. And lastly, I had all of my fellow Jimmies. The power of a community is more than I could have ever imagined.
Please remember that everyone is going through something even if they don’t show it. And never turn down the opportunity to help a fellow Jimmie out because community can offer someone stability in their own lives.
We had a great semester!