With my last final exam three hours away, I decided to stay on campus to eat lunch before a last run through my marketing notes. As I headed towards the student union, I was pained with the thought of having to push through a hungry crowd, stand in long lines, and stalk students leaving their tables so that I would not have to use my quick-numbing lap to eat off of. Just thinking of all this trouble, especially the inevitable charlie horse, made me regret staying on campus.
As the automatic doors slid open, the cafeteria was unusually bare. I guess being that it's finals week, the students are more dispersed. I decided to eat outside, given the sunny, mid-December, California weather. There is a patio area, hidden by trees, that is my favorite place on this campus. It is a rectangular cavity in front of the union building. The only way in is by a set of stairs to the left of the building entrance. As you descend, it feels as if you are entering a different world. The air is completely void of school and its pressures. Granted you are surrounded by students; but, there seems to be a silent agreement not to bring your school cares with you. Everyone is so calm, it makes the entire area like a little piece of heaven amongst all hell.
One towering wall is covered with hanging plants; on the other side is a gradual slope of earth full of ground plants and trees. The sun peeks through; but, the trees shade me. A single, late-blooming flower on the wall welcomes me to my seat. The gentle speakers whisper classical music. I sit back, look around, and relax; appreciative of the rare moments that come at the most opportune time.
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2 comments:
You painted a beautiful picture of an oasis in your school campus. The poetic descriptions of little details you lovingly observed are like swirls of colors from a precise stroke of a paint brush.
If this is indeed a painting, I would like to hang it on my wall. Superb!!!
Mmmm.... mental vacation. I hope all went well with the finals. Mine are somewhat of a disaster, but my ultimate goal is just to get them over with. And in that sense, I am half-way to success!
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