slip-sliding away…..

Life is often too full, and we can end up just jumping from one task to the next – especially during weekdays. As an antidote to the constant pull of activity, each Tuesday, I hope to post a poem here – inviting you to take just a few minutes to slow down and step outside the busy-ness.

O, what a week

O, what a week;
Plaza buzzing,
banners out in full force,
adding colour to the centrepiece of this academic paradise,
nestled below the towering mountain that anchors our city.

Club masters swarm,
hoping to catch freshers,
who have not yet signed up
for the diverse cultural and sporting opportunities
that will enrich their university lives in time to come.

The younglings come
from far and wide,
the start of their post-school adventures,
on this gorgeous campus
which will be home for the next three, four, or more, years.

Wide-eyed and fresh-faced,
they begin their adult lives right now –
no longer cocooned within the protective walls of the school environment;
now exposed to the world…
nay,
a UNIverse
of ideas,
philosophies,
and disciplines
which all contribute
to society at large,
and the world they will lead not long from now.

The freedom is palpable,
parents no longer watching over them,
teachers no longer intensely concerned as they were at school –
distinguished academics
who care not whether they pass or fail,
bunk class or graduate.

The choice is theirs.
As is the consequence of their actions.

Information is dispersed daily,
as lecture halls fill to capacity
in these early weeks
of the new academic year.

But mere information is useless,
unless properly applied,
turning data into knowledge,
which, in time –
complemented by experience –
turns into wisdom
for those fortunate enough to take heed;
because
              everyone gets the experience,
              yet only some get the lesson*.

Time rumbles on,
as essays,
tests,
and assignments,
haunt their waking moments,
and the full weight
of this academic endeavour
dawns upon these newly-liberated young adults.

As the chains melt away –
no authority over them at home anymore,
no restrictive school system dictating their schedules,
no longer considered far too young to make their own adult decisions –
new restraints take over:
the pressures of student life,
creeping over them
like the ivy that slips over the buildings that house these lecture halls.

And so continues
the academic cycle
of tests and exams,
followed by long vacations and relaxation,
before it all starts again the following year.

And as they approach the end of their tenure here,
they’ll feel the anxiety of entering the whole wide world out there:
wondering what career prospects await,
as they leave this sheltered environment
for the next stage on their worldly journeys.

Work begins,
and that corporate ladder is laid out;
while,
perhaps,
marriage arrives,
followed by parenthood,
the escape of youth,
and mid-life musings
on what could have been,
if different decisions were made.

The road is long,
for life is not ‘too short’.

So –
dear students –
look beyond the immediate,
and keep in mind
the future that awaits decades from now.

Work hard,
be responsible,
have fun,
and maintain a balance.

In these days of freedom,
sow the seeds
that will blossom
into the beautiful life you hope to live.

But know that
despite anything you plan,
Life may take you on a completely different path.

So, be open-minded,
yet always hold firm to your truest principles.

O, what a week.
The first week of the rest of your life.

—

Note: Originally published in February 2020, when the University of Cape Town used to hold a 3-day event called Orientation Week. (This has since changed to a 1-day “Welcome Festival”.)

~~~

* (Words by TS Eliot)