Dear Reader,
This
is my last column of the semester. This means most of you are too busy to read
it, having higher priorities like studying for finals or writing papers. This
is fine; I’m not offended. There is a time and place for everything.
For
those of you who do have a few spare minutes to spend with the Daily Lobo, I am
glad that you are taking a breather. It is important to slow down from time to
time. Still, I will be brief.
Before
I leave you for several weeks, I just want to take a moment to acknowledge you,
whoever you are, reading this. It is an odd feeling, writing for unknown readers. I never know whose eyes are
scanning my words, how and where my thoughts land, whether you find them interesting,
irrelevant, helpful or boring.
Perhaps
you are a student at the end of a long semester, or a staff person on a break.
Maybe you are having coffee and a Frontier roll, or waiting for a bus, or
putting off grading papers for a few more minutes. Possibly you just grabbed a
newspaper to line your bird cage or pack up your belongings.
When
I was a child my mother read to me and my sisters from Rudyard Kipling’s Just
So Stories. Kipling wrote as if he was speaking, and he referred to his reader
as “O’ my best beloved.” When I heard that, I always felt specially
acknowledged. Writers write for their readers, after all, so thank you for
reading.
What
I most want to say to you is that I hope you acknowledge yourself. Whoever you
are, there is only one of you in this universe. You are the definition of unique.
Nobody else has your experiences, your struggles and accomplishments, your
exact take on the world. You have your own preferences, habits, quirks and your
very own style. Your strengths have saved
you; your weaknesses have cost you. Life has hit you in the gut, one way or
another, leaving you a little wiser and a little stronger each time. You are a changing, growing human being,
shaped by your changing, growing life.
Between
nature and nurture, the forces that mold us are endless and varied. It takes
every single one of us to complete the complex, wondrous picture that is life
on earth. I personally find it fascinating that there are no two of us alike
anywhere, and I thank you for your contribution to the landscape.
Have
a good winter break.
