Dear Readers,
This past weekend, I flew home to California. I originally planned to fly back for a quick trip to attend the wedding of one of my childhood friends, who I’ve known for almost two decades. But, I ended up staying an extra couple days to accompany my mother through a scary surgery. Over the quick span of just a few days, I witnessed the beauty of everlasting love through a joyous celebration, before spending hours in a hospital waiting room, anxiously reflecting on the fragility of life. I can easily say it was an eventful weekend filled with duality—excitement and fear, all the good and all the bad.
A lot of this weekend was spent thinking about time. At the wedding, my friends and I talked about how weird your 20s are, watching your friends move through completely different stages of life and comparing timelines, always wondering if you’re moving too fast or too slow. Then, waiting rooms are never fun. Time seems to move impossibly slowly there, and all you can do is sit helplessly and twiddle your thumbs…so, you end up spending the time sitting and pondering—about how much you cherish the person you’re there waiting for, the time you’ve spent with them so far, and how you want to make the most of every moment you have with them moving forward. While time in the waiting room may be moving like molasses, it dawns on you how time is also fleeting.
This week, our writers are also reflecting on how they spend their time and the times we live in today. In Feature, Ivy discusses her fascination with utopia and contrasts it with the dystopias we currently inhabit. In Narrative, Christina shares memories of traveling by car and train over the years, while Nina steps out of her body for a discussion on loneliness and solitude. In Arts & Culture, Chelsea talks about poet Ada Limón and the gendered portrayals of how we love in literature. Alternatively, Sofie shares her thoughts on cutting toxic people from your life, inspired by the song, “Cross You Out.” As a RUE student myself, I have to give a special shoutout to this week’s Lifestyle writers and fellow RUE students, Elaine and Merissa! Elaine takes us along on her tumultuous knitting journey, while Merissa tells how a recent haircut led to both self-reflection and a reflection on societal standards of what defines ‘pretty.’ After reading all of these wonderful introspective pieces, make sure to check out Dolma’s fall-themed crossword and Alayna’s interactive ‘choose-your-own-adventure’ post-pourri article to help you decide how to spend your Halloween night!
When big life events come our way, we tend to do a lot of reflecting—on time spent and all the ways we want to spend our time moving forward. Let this be your (and my) reminder to slow down, take a deep breath, and appreciate where you’re at. There is no need to compare timelines with your peers and stress about whether or not you’re on the right track. Instead, just try to cherish the time you have with your friends and family, and make the most of every experience. And, of course, if you’re looking for another great way to spend your time, make sure to read this week’s edition of post-.
Taking a moment to pause,
Jessica Lee
Copy Chief
