last year on ldoc

It’s LDOC, and I’m pretending to do work.

There aren’t very many people here, purple walls and orange table dividers drape the clicking noise of the Macbooks and announce silent progress. Girls in sundresses are out on the quad already, despite this too cold for sundresses, but sunny no less, day in April. My biology lectures sprawled on the table, something about the hangover locus in Drosophila. And inebrieometers. How appropriate.

Today, I am 19 years old, 68 food points on my DukeCard, no intellectual property to my name, addicted to the New York Times, hopeful, anxious, more or less still undefined. Two more exams, a few more pages on Nietzsche and Kierkegaard, boxes in storage, keys returned, posters rolled up, and I will go back to Solon with five more months of life experiences to carry around with me to Borders and Chagrin Falls.

I do plenty of looking back and looking forward on a regular basis. But today I think I am content to just stay in this moment. I am thankful this feeling. For the people who have touched my heart more deeply than they will ever know. For the possibility of faith. For all the opportunities, and for the adventures I will have in the years to come, starting with my foray into the ruins of Greece in T-minus 25 days. For conviction and confidence. For acceptance. For pure and simple, unfettered, uncomplicated, happiness.