OCTOBER 2018

Elizabeth John: A Weight on Your Shoulders

The Diag is a sacred space,

It may not look like it, it may not even be treated with the same reverence it requires,

But the Diag, is the manifestation of your college experience.

Standing in the center of the Diag,

You look,

North: staying up studying for an organic chemistry exam

East: cramming frantically as a freshman,

South:  breaking down until you questioned it all

West: partying too hard and struggling to walk home.

But the Diag is the maze that maps your future.

The currents of people that occupy its space as a swarm, the meeting place of so many destinations, the pinnacle of the Michigan experience; it’s all right here.

I walk through the Diag because I am constantly late for class,

Constantly in a rush to get home,

Constantly anticipating the next action.

Look at yourself in this space.

Disconnected, nervous, and forgetful

Of the weight you carry.

Unplug your headphones,

Look up,

Acknowledge the weight of  your bags.

Be present. You are here.

My backpack is full.

Laptop, notebook, folder, pen, pencil, calculator, house key, imposter syndrome, pressure, success, home, family, race, privilege, gender, sexuality, roots, identities.

You carry this world greater than yourself on your shoulders, because we walk side by side,

Trying to get from one end of the Diag to the other.

Time is so finite,

Expectations are so high,

Heavy.

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged,

You’ve carried this weight, even before you approached the Diag.

And you’re here,

You belong,

You’ll make it from corner to corner,

Inspire others along the way,

And you’ll do it beautifully.

-Elizabeth John-