By Linda Wilkins
Staff writer
As my freshman year at Baylor draws to a close, I ponder the meaning of life.
That’s a bit too philosophical, right?
I may not be pondering the meaning of life, but I am thinking about how much I’ve changed since the beginning of the fall semester.
Living away from home, missing family and friends, having a roommate, eating at a dining hall every day, staying up all hours of the night, and doing pretty much what I wanted to do were some pastimes that I had to get used to.
With only a few days left of class and about a week left living here in Waco, I’ve begun to prepare myself. For what, you ask?
For life.
Yes, I just pulled the philosophy card.
When I leave Waco for the summer, I’ll have gained friends, had experiences and learned something. I’m not the same as I was when I came here and I probably won’t be the same as when I return in the fall.
Where is this coming from?
One night, as Laura, my roommate, and I were about to go to sleep, Laura said something that’s sort of stuck with me for a while. It’s a simple fact that many people, myself included, overlook.
Just before I turned off the lights, Laura sat up, looked at me and said, “Hey, did you know that every second that passes you can never get back?”
I looked at her for a moment, her words not yet registered in my mind.
Laura quickly added, “Not to put a damper on your night or anything.”
I laughed a little bit and said she hadn’t.
And she hadn’t.
If anything, Laura had just reminded me of what I’ve known all along.
Every breath you take. Every word. Every thought. Every sound. Every touch. Everything you do takes up time.
Time is something that we as humans wish we could play with. Wouldn’t you like to have a Time Turner to go back three hours and tell your past-self to get a move on with that essay? Wouldn’t you like a DeLorean to go back in time and undo an awkward situation?
The thing is, I think time is one of the greatest resources we waste. We’re filling our time wishing we could do this or avoiding doing that.
This past year at Baylor, I’ll admit, I’ve wasted a little bit of time. I’ve put off papers and studying (and for those of you who are wondering, I am an Honors student). My biggest time waster was the waiting.
Waiting to start homework. Waiting for dinner. Waiting for spring break. Waiting for an email. Waiting. Waiting. Waiting.
I think I’ve lived my life waiting for the next big thing that’s going to happen, and I’ve somehow overlooked how much I’ve got going for me right now.
Presently I’ve been waiting for the end of the year. But honestly I could be living up the time I have now.
It’s sad that it’s taken me this long to fully realize how fast time flies.
I guess what I’m trying to say is this: be aware of your time. Life could be gone in a blink of an eye. Fill every second of your life with memories to recall, learn from, and share. That way, your time isn’t wasted.
It’s worth it.
Linda Wilkins is a freshman journalism major from Tyrone, Ga., and is a staff writer for the Lariat.
