“Busy, busy, busy, is what we Bokononists whisper whenever we think of how complicated and unpredictable the machinery of life really is.” ― Kurt Vonnegut, Cat’s Cradle
I originally named my blog “Busy, Busy, Busy” because I believe Mr. Vonnegut was spot-on with his commentary on how life operates. In a more literal sense, I find it to accurately sum up my life 90% of the time.
I started this blog a few weeks ago as a method of cathartic release. Ever since I can remember, expressing my feelings verbally proved challenging for me. Be it out of fear of judgement, or the fact that I need to process what I say carefully in my mind before being comfortable saying it out loud, writing has proved time and time again to be a much smarter method for me when needing to express myself in a serious manner. This seemed like the natural solution to my often pent-up feelings, as well as a great place for me to share the things I find most meaningful with whoever was interested. But alas, being busy took over. Finals, graduation, family visits and beginning a new internship, among other things, “forced” me to put this blog on the back burner (I use quotation marks because nothing really forced me to. No one put a gun to my head and told me not to start writing. Rather, I had to lower it on my list of priorities).
I have led what most would call a busy life ever since I could hold a “busy life.” When I was younger, I did gymnastics, took swim lessons, went to dance camps, and just generally did things that struck my fancy. I was busy, but in a good sense: I was enhancing my learning and my life by doing things that I wanted to.
The transition into being busy in the exhausting sense came probably around high school. Faced with a growing pressure to get into a “good” college (I again use quotations here, as defining a good school is pretty subjective), I started being busy with activities that I didn’t really want to do. I bombarded myself with extra AP classes and extracurriculars sure to look good on a college application. I didn’t have much free time to engage in things I found interesting.
That chain broke about two years ago when I stumbled upon Columbia College Chicago. Before I came to visit the campus, I was pretty lost: I was almost two years done with my general education courses at the local community college, putting any free time I had into more activities I heard would look good to the average college admissions board and my retail job. I had a general sense of what I wanted to do, but didn’t know what major would work best for the dream job I couldn’t yet determine.
Touring Columbia was a major game changer: I had never personally seen a school that saw potential in a student from more than their grade point average and how many organizations they volunteered with. I had also never seen a school with a program that taught students how to book, present and manage live entertainment. Suddenly, I had a clear sense of direction: I had finally found a program I knew would be absolutely beneficial to the career path I could now clearly identify, where all my classes would contribute to my understanding of and growth in the live events industry.
I could write a love sonnet to how much I love Chicago and what it has given me (that’s saying a lot, considering I am not what you would consider a sappy person). The biggest thing it has given me is a purpose: I have been incredibly busy during my time here, but with the things I have always wanted to do. Suddenly, my coursework didn’t seem meaningless, and I actually enjoyed doing my homework. My free time was spent doing things I’ve always had interest in: visiting art museums, listening to free concerts in the park, and just generally exploring all this beautiful city has to offer. While these may sound like frivolous activites, I’ve learned more about myself and have expanded my general knowledge on various subjects more than at any moment prior in my life.
Being busy isn’t a bad thing, as long as its filled up with things you find worthwhile. There is a big difference between being busy doing things that matter to you that will enrich your learning and/or personal growth in some way, or being busy with empty activities because society seems to positively correlate less free time with a more meaningful life. If I’ve learned anything during my transition into being a young adult, it’s that life is too short not to live it how you want.
Now that I have completed the great majority of my undergraduate education (damn you final summer class!), I have slightly more free time than before. I want to continue being busy, but with things I want to do, and read, and see, and generally be a part of. So to you, the blessed few that actually finished reading this, I make a few vows. I vow to write in this blog on a regular basis. I vow to take up photography more often. I vow to read a new book of my choosing at least once a month. And, most importantly, I vow to keep busy enriching my mind and personal development, so that I can go through life being the best I can be.
Busy Busy Busy 