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St. Cloud State University
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Commentary
End of the year offers life lessons
By Regina Eckes
Published:
Monday, April 19, 2004
Regina Eckes -- Staff Essay
My last staff essay. What should I write about? I've already covered drinking, religion, baseball, babies, growing old and the '90s.
Now I know I'm not as cute as Cassie, as clever as Nick, as funny as John, as real as Bobby or as educated as Eric, but I'll try my darndest to combine all the elements as I ramble on about this past year.
One beta fish, two parking tickets, three roommates, four N64 controllers and 26 credits later, I guess I can say I learned a lot.
I learned where the knob is that cuts off the water flow to the toilet. This knowledge would have come in handy the third week of school at 3 a.m. when the bathroom flooded.
From that I also learned to always have at least 10 rolls of paper towels and lots of Mop 'N Glow handy-just in case.
I learned how to perfect the art of shooting a single green shell backwards and shooting bananas forward, all aimed at Toad.
I learned that dirty dishes will start to smell if they are not rinsed out before sitting in the sink for two weeks and that you can't rely on one person to do the dishes all year.
I learned, saw and smelled how dirty four girls can be within a week.
I learned that making fun of American Idol and grocery shopping is a great way to have roommie bonding night - but not when everyone talks on their cell phone going through the produce section.
I became highly educated in the workings of strip clubs, thanks to a roommie with a "special" job. Aside from the naked women dancing and the dirty old men with trucker hats and cigarettes staring at them, it's not too sleezy.
I rediscovered and reevaluated my religious beliefs and God and finally resolved the fight we'd been having for three years.
I rediscovered my passion for writing, which led to me switch my major, for the last time, to creative writing.
I rediscovered my need for singing. Whether I'm Whitney Houston, William Hung or somewhere in between, I need to be in some kind of choir or group to keep the alto inside me happy.
I found that I can be embarrassed of who I am (Clay Aiken, for example).
I learned that some friendships just don't work, and it's better to end the situation than pretend.
I learned that friendships, any relationship, need to be fulfilling for both parties.
I discovered that Mac computers are pure evil.
I learned to love my braces, no matter how much food gets stuck in them.
I am in the process of seeing my parents as friends and people, not just parental figures.
I learned I cannot work at the Chronicle next year. My experience has taught me that journalism is not what I'm supposed to do. Writing articles turned into homework; I would procrastinate and more often than not, turn out a story nowhere near as good as it could have been.
Another reason I can't work here next year is because I learned that life is expensive, and my $2 an hour rate isn't going to feed me forever.
I rediscovered some friendships, and grown apart from others.
I learned the only person you can trust, the only person who will always be there for you, the only person you can ever truly rely on is yourself, and even then you get let down sometimes.
All in all, it's been a good year, a great second semester. I finally had decent classes and made some friends that won't be graduating in May.
So what now? Summer, then more school, graduation, a real job? Get season tickets to the Twins, maybe move out of state?
Well, whatever I do, I hope these valuable lessons stick with me long after I leave SCSU.
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