He said: Farewell
Emerson Blais, CT Features Staff
April 27, 2007
Well Blacksburg, it's been fun. Over the last academic year, Rachel and I have had the distinct opportunity of writing this column. Personally, it's all been in an effort to make sense of college life; and, for that matter, life in general. Hopefully, you've found a few bits of truth within the pockets of dirty laundry we've aired weekly--no charge.
As a writer, you never know exactly how your words will strike someone. Will they get the joke? Has anyone else ever felt that way? Is this good enough for network syndication? I suppose that writing has helped me cope with many different aspects of my own life by believing that the majority of people do, in fact, deal with the very same stressful shenanigans as one another.
Now, this is not to say that we all have the same opinions. The world wouldn't turn if that were true. Yet, you can't form opinions without raising a subject in the first place. Whether it's been hashing out love and heartache, hygiene, substantial substance abuse or the popular fads of our time, the purpose of this column has been and will be to break decorum by design. And, after doing so, somehow figure out one another and what we share.
Some of you might not have always agreed with my approbation of femininity. I've had several students tell me how their women's studies class spent different weeks picking apart my psyche like hyenas. And, while I'm glad I could contribute to the young and thriving minds of academia, in such an individually expensive fashion, don't misunderstand me.
You know when you zing someone by saying exactly what you mean to say exactly when you should say it? It doesn't always feel good, but oftentimes, it just has to be done. I don't have everything figured out. But, I've tried to, and I'm still trying. How else can anybody figure anything out than by trying to? So, I've spent my time blabbering on the phone to Rachel about the secret lives of guys and girls while staring at a blank Word document and losing sleep. And, I will miss it. People get used to things pretty quickly. Pretty soon, a lot of us will have to get used to not being in college anymore, which is scary stuff because we've gotten used to being here.
We've gotten used to the mid-afternoon naps after waking up at noon. We've gotten used to picking and choosing responsibilities, wearing sandals anywhere and everywhere, having too much fun and being the focus of nearly every marketing campaign.
It used to be that we'd have nothing but a paper-bagged lunch and untied shoelaces. Then, it was that certain seat on the school bus before everything turned into a popularity contest. Now, it's mostly hormones, but well-educated hormones. Life up to and through college is a scheduled affair. It's afterwards that we're forced to not only go our separate ways but find them.
So, beforehand, thank you for being a literate audience whose indulgence will always be remembered. I hope nothing but the best for all of you and that, together, we've figured out a thing or two. Goodbye, Hokies!