Welcome to College If you try to find me in the morning, of any normal day, you may catch me gawking at some carton like “Tom and Jerry” or hustling down and back to the showers before class. But really, you’ll probably find me tripping out of bed, swearing and chucking clothes on, not knowing exactly what I’m doing, but somehow inevitably I rush to be somewhere five minutes ago. Yet I always take the time to catch a few episodes before running out of the dorms. But should I be doing something more important with myself instead of sitting around and rushing at the last minute? Some day I won’t be so rushed. Some day I hope to bring some more seriousness to the arrival of the new day, you know, as “grown-ups” do…scanning the newspaper, fumbling numbly through the delivered blasphemy. Yet the best thing I can think to do now is to stare at the tv, eating my cereal with my hair pressed up awkwardly to the side. But maybe I’m being too optimistic by comparing my mornings to that of my parents; maybe I’m pushing the limits of my waking minutes. To tell you the truth cartoons and awkward awakenings are the only two things that go together for me in the morning. With roommates stumbling around for their early classes, delivery trucks outside constantly backing up (and that beeping!), and the usual dorm stuff, it’s not unusual to be woken up suddenly, or rudely in the morning. Should I feel bad for being lazy in the morning, or be glad that I have a simple stress free morning? I think I did the exact same thing when I was younger, rolling around on the carpet or sitting on the big couch, gazing at the tv. I know I haven’t made a real good point so far, but I don’t think that makes a difference, because tomorrow I’ll wake up and I’ll be thirty and the next day I’ll be forty, but I’m not sure that I’ll be able to find anything better than my cartoons and cereal. I know that I’m at college to get an education, but why struggle through it banging my head against the wall. Everyday we face impossible classes and schedules; everyday new problems arise that we have to deal with that just can’t wait. It is inevitable that these things come up because that is the nature of being at college, but should we suffer for it; should we strain ourselves all the time? I don’t think so. I’m not saying that I don’t want or do go and get stuff done, but rather I think we need to or have to take some time for ourselves everyday and just chill. I work hard all afternoon and into the night just so I can wake up in the morning and take that little time to relax. Is there something wrong with that? Naa…so I say don’t get tight-caste. Take the classes and challenges seriously because they do in fact mean something in the long run. Do keep up with friends and the family because those are the important connections to have. But please take some time for yourself to vent, to “take a nap” as someone once told me, and realize that you are in college and should be having a little fun “just chillin’.” So roll out of bed, check on “tom and jerry” and be proud that you have found a way to relax and let it just flow. Leave the running around for others. Peace…ills, one love.Dom Mattos