Dear College Life,
It’s with a heavy heart I write this goodbye letter to you. Four years will always seem like a long time until one stands at the end of them. And over those years you taught me so many things about myself and so many valuable skills that I just wanted to take the time to thank you. And I don’t mean the stuff in the classroom, I mean the things that I could have never learned if I had stayed home.
Like how freshman year we could have a good time simply by stuffing as many people as possible into a dorm room. And when the RA’s would come, you showed me that it’s perfectly acceptable to hide in the shower.
You made me realize that my laundry cycle is equal to the amount of boxers I own and you taught me how to make anything and everything in a “hot-pot”. You taught me there is no shame in paying for an $18 delivery from Dominos in change, but there is shame in eating it at four in the morning. You made me see that it is not a good idea to walk home from the beach, but not until I was halfway there.
Over the years you showed me how pathetic it is to see everything you own in this world easily packed up into a car and hauled around. You taught me the art of persuading myself to skip class due to any weather condition outside or any show on TV.
My creative mind was developed as well, thanks to you allowing me to think up a rainbow of diseases and dead relatives to help explain these missed classes. You showed me what true embarrassment is during our walks-of-shame. And you made me realize that it is ok to not remember people’s names as long as you stick in “bro” or “sweetheart.”
You showed me that it is possible to live on a beach before I retire, and you showed me how utterly disgusting a beach house can get. You taught me how to bounce quarters and throw ping-pong balls into cups and how too sneak cards into my pocket when I wanted to be president a little longer.
But most of all you taught me how to have fun. You were there with me while I laughed, danced and occasionally stumbled over the last four years; while I did the millions of weird things only college kids can get away with. And I’ll always remember that.
I know you’ll be fine; you’ll meet other people. I just hope that from time to time you’ll think of me out there in the real world, remember all the good times we had and maybe it’ll make you smile too…
Sincerely yours, Paul Parisi, ’02
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