As I sit here outside writing this column I was supposed to take a nap but the fire alarm went off, good thing it's nice out, right? I am reminded yet again of the cruelty of the "almost was." I almost was asleep again after taking two exams, but then the alarm rang.
This brings me to Wednesday night. The New York Knicks had a lead going into the final minutes for the second game in a row, and blew it.
But it wasn't just that. They had convinced Knicks fans that the game was over. Billups was out, Stat mysteriously disappeared with back spasms and the game looked to be slipping away. Carmelo Anthony, however, had other plans in mind plans to ruin my night.
The Knicks rallied and had a chance to win the game in the final seconds, but gave to the ball to who? Jarred Jeffries. You may not know who I'm talking about, but that's my point.
Anyway, Celtics win.
This is the cruelty of sports, like it or not. It is the "almost was" coming so close, getting your hopes up and just losing. And it translates to everyday life. Here on campus, life itself is just one big sport. Take a look at a sample day for proof.
Beginning the day, you wake up before the alarm goes off, not a bad feeling, right? Then you realize it's only a minute before your alarm actually will go off and that life has played a cruel, cruel joke on you.
For uniforms, people generally wear a specific set of clothes for the daywhether it's the Costanza given-up-on-life look (sweatpants and a t-shirt) or something nicer.
In fact, even if you occasionally do call an audible (for a Thursday 9 a.m. x-hour or a midterm exam at 5 p.m., for example) say that's your away jersey.
Then there are the classes. If you are sick in the head like me, you schedule them all next to each other to get it over with, even if maintaing focus that long is impossible.
That's about three straight hours of class you're sitting through.
The world's fastest marathon was recently run in just over two hours. I think it's safe to call your classes a marathon.
Ok, so you've finished your classes for the day, but you are extremely tired. Take a nap it's kind of like an intermission in hockey.
After that energizing nap, you maybe go to the gym if you are really ambitious. You could also do some work, whatever works. But after that, game over. You are done for the day.
I had a friend who once finished a race and just collapsed out of exhaustion on the finish line, but the course was so small they had to literally roll him off the track. That's kind of what I feel like when I've finished all my work for the day. I am just done.
This means it's time for the postgame meal. You kind of expect to go get a good quick meal at Foco (er, the Class of 1953 Commons?), but that's one spot where reality hits. Jeter doesn't have to wait in line to get Sunday night's turkey on Monday night he gets it on Sunday on a silver platter with gravy and a biscuit.
But there is good news. It's the Dartmouth equivalent of an after party a frat basement. Don't you think Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson is wondering how long the pong line is as he is running 60 yards for a touchdown on Sunday afternoons? Or does it just not matter for him because he is the unquestioned king of athletes?
See, that's the nice departure from the real sports world. When you are out, goals and exams are not exactly the same thing. The kid who has an exam and three essays due in the next week isn't going to be acting like Kobe in the club.
Regardless, after the night out, the real problem hits. You realize you have to get up the next day and go to class for another three hours.
You set your alarm for five hours from now, but you know you'll just wake up in four hours and 59 minutes instead.
That, ladies and gentlemen, is the cruelty of the "almost was," and a typical occurrence in the game of life of a student at Dartmouth College.
