School still no place like home

Debbie Peterson -- Staff Column

About one week ago, I felt the need to go home. This need is usually directly connected to my family's household appliances. Now that I have been away for two years, not only do I miss my parents and pets, but I miss the (stocked) fridge, the (touchable) bathtub and the (clean and open) laundry machines.

Lately, though, I have been noticing a new element that I do not have so easily open to me here at college, yet have abundantly at home. Not once did I think that I would miss or wish for it so much, especially in high school, but I have found that I do.

I miss the presence of people who have experienced more in this world than I have (people my parents' or grandparents' age) and I also miss a settled and somewhat quiet life.

No offense to the dorms. I have wonderful memories, but nothing can compete with the comfort of having multiple rooms to call your own. It's not just multiple rooms either, but actual nice furniture, cleanliness and maybe even a nice decorating scheme. (I have no idea how some people can handle having their central decorating theme revolve around empty alcohol containers.)

I miss daily contact with people who have had the chance to learn and experience the things that can only be amassed over time. Maybe I just need a mentor or should call home more, but life is so much more textured when my surroundings have a variety of age levels.

It's fun to have little children around, to play with them and watch them grow. It's entertaining and educational to be around elders who "know a thing or two," either because they have mastered the art of teasing or because they are full of insights and interesting bits of knowledge. Daily college life encompasses such a small range of ages.

College kids also do everything to the extreme. When a college student parties, he or she parties. When a college student needs to read a book, he or she inevitably waits for the last possible moment to cram it all in. When a college student sleeps-well, you get the picture.

Though not everyone is like this, college students generally are searching for what they want out of life and in the meantime looking for a little fun; that makes for a wild and crazy ride.

I enjoy college, but I miss the benefits and joys of multiple age groups. I miss the settledness of my house and the blessed family appliances. I miss being able to talk to someone older-someone who knows about tax forms and car maintenance, and who also has an idea on how to fix a fight between yourself and a friend. More than likely, they have already been through it.

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Debbie Peterson can be reached at [email protected]