Bustling of the College Campus

There is something riveting and anxious about the bustling of a college campus. I sit in the mutual study room just outside the cafeteria and am met with the exciting conversations of an unfair teacher and overloads of homework. What is it about the college life that causes such discomfort and entertainment? I was not aware those two would be on such equal ground; it is like the ocean without sand to kiss.

I sit in the common room, observing through the two-way windows, people are holding up lines, chatting, while waiting for food to be prepared. Others are struggling to find seating, some giving up and heading to the seating away from the bustling socialness of their peers; they do not like the quiet. I would have to agree. Quiet equates to anxiety; there is no rest in silence, only thoughts stumbling over each other, fighting to be picked, and expanded upon.

I plug in my earbuds, listening to the daylist Spotify made for me, unable to keep my mind from wandering as I read Eudora Welty’s book “The Optimist’s Daughter,” a staple in the Mississippi lifestyle. The talking of my peers surrounds my fatigued body, leaving me in a state of wary and awe.  

How is it possible that so many people could care less about the disturbance they cause? The speeches grow longer, the laughter gets louder, there is no escape into quiet regardless of the state of mind I am in. I cannot tell whether I should fear for my peace or welcome to constant chatter leaving me rereading the same passage of my book.  

The bustling of the college campus thrives, disregarding the upset mental states of the students, giving us a break from the internal battle we face when alone in our dorms or home for the weekend. When there is unrest surrounding me, I fear nothing in my mind. I can only assume that I am safe, going unnoticed by the other wary lives surrounding me.