By Eleanor O’Hagan
Columnist
If I had to sum up the semester thus far in one word, I would say it has been “chaotic.” Take that as you will, as “chaotic” can be both a good or bad thing, depending on the circumstances.
Earlier this month, whilst in a fevered, Tylenol powered state, I drove with a group of friends through the weekend rush hour traffic of Pittsburgh to have a night in the city. I will spare you the overly dramatic details of the evening, involving clown ties, pierogi cravings, dinosaur recreations of Mr. Rogers, stairwell chases and an opera.
But, to say the least, the evening was chaotic. It was some of the best chaos I had experienced in the semester. The moments of stress and near-death experiences were easily laughed away because it was all in good company.
While it’s easy to let the chaos of day-to-day life consume and isolate us, it’s more manageable when you step out of yourself and allow the craziness of the lives of others to mix with your own. In doing this, I often find that what I think is a unique, messy circumstance of mine actually turns out to be a widely shared experience.
This semester, I and many of my friends are writing our theses, applying for jobs and trying to figure out what life we’re supposed to have once we leave the hilltop of Franciscan. But I find it’s more manageable to rail against the stress and chaos with others.
It’s more fun to be screaming at your computer as you try to finish an assignment if a friend is weeping happy tears over her readings and another is chugging their third cup of coffee, or to navigate an unknown location as a friend clops down the stairs behind you, belting “Downtown” by Macklemore.
I suppose what I’m saying, as I type this up minutes before its deadline, is that it’s more bearable when you lean into the chaos and discover the joy and good it can bring.
To conclude, I would like to share a little prayer I’ve had in my head since I was 12. It’s really helped me to find peace and happiness in the absurd chaos of life:
“O Lord, help me to realize that nothing will happen to me today that You and I cannot work out together. Amen.”
Now go have fun in the chaos!