That's how my first year was -- like a typical fall day. Foggy and overcast in the morning, the day would transform into a beauty, with individual rays of sunlight permeating the watery pallor hanging over the Green.
It's probably fair to conclude that the people that go to school at Dartmouth love the place. From those who proudly wear their green hoodies to those who frequent Collis Caf, there seems to be some magnetic quality about this school. Alums keep their fond memories of Dartmouth close to their heart (I remember my interviewer, who waxed lyrical about Dartmouth like he was in the middle of his sophomore summer), and the people I see in general almost always seem to possess a cheerful demeanor as they walk around campus.
I vividly remember my first year here. Rushing around in the fall, taking full advantage of Dartmouth's location to go on weekend hikes in the Second College Grant. Trying out a myriad of different things, both inside and outside of the classroom. What was more amusing were the times when eating with many different new friends was always awkward -- no one wanted to admit that they had forgotten the names of the people that they were talking to in mid-conversation. It was somewhat of a game that represented a tenacious balancing act of some sort, with no real equilibrium on which I could find solid footing.
When I ask myself what made Dartmouth special to me, my answer comes to mind so quickly it seems almost instinctive.
The most meaningful times of my life as a first-year were spent with two of the closest friends I've ever had. These were people that I met freshman year, and the firm bond that materialized between us is something I know I will cherish. The words they say have the capacity to induce deeper thought within the recesses of my brain, and their physical actions have more significance to me. They are people that I know will be there for me in my darkest moments of despair, the quintessential silver lining in the cloud.
Sounds trite, but oh-so-true.
This really hit home only recently, when I was sitting down with the two of them late one night during our UGA training. We were talking about matters that affected how we perceive the world around us, and our attitude towards the events that unfold before our eyes. At some point of time during that night, I took a mental step back -- these were two of my best friends. We were talking about common issues from the heart, and as evidenced by all the talks and dinners we shared we were in touch with one another regardless of the external social context. I would willingly put in any amount of time and effort to help them, and I knew that the feeling was reciprocal. And here we were, not in any socially contrived space, but in one of our dormitory rooms.
Such close friendships were the sunlight that permeated the fog that was my freshman fall. Fog because I was thrust into a foreign setting like all my other classmates, and I wasn't quite sure how to act sometimes vis--vis different situations. I felt hypocritical because my actions would occasionally betray the feelings in my heart, and that to me just wasn't right. Sunlight because I realized that there were indeed individuals out there who can really make the difference in your lives. No man is an island -- human society is set up such that relationships are made and broken. Some, of course, are more ephemeral than others, but it's those constants that everybody strives for.
Glancing back on life, a lot of experiences often seem meaningless and empty. I'm all for having a good time, but it's the times that go beyond mere simple enjoyment which make for real memories.
I like to think, too, that Dartmouth facilitates the formation of such close bonds. In a small town such as Hanover, campus life truly exists on campus unlike at some colleges situated in the city. Ideally, we should have forged our strongest bonds here through the endeavors we undertake and the experiences we go through.
If you happen to look deep inside yourself and an epiphany strikes you, its never too late to seek out and form such bonds. And, if you have the fortune to forge such friendships, never take them for granted. When taken out of a particular social context, how many of the people that you mix with will definitely be there for you?
A fact of life that we often take for granted is that the realm of common reality, sadly, is synonymous with the lives that we all lead.
