This October Night

It is raining outside. An October rain that comes with a cool breeze. A breeze that reminds you to wear a hoodie. In the morning time, it is usually around fifty degrees outside. That reminds me that winter isn’t far away. Over the past three days, the energy in Oberlin has shifted as people have returned to campus. There is a buzz of excitement everywhere you turn, and for good reason too. This is the first semester since the pandemic occurred that all four classes will be on campus at the same time. The rain is picking up speed. It seems like time is simultaneously picking up speed as we are one day away from the start of the fall semester, one day away from the start of my senior year. 

I let track shape my September break. Every day I spent two hours running up hills, working on sprinting form, and lifting weights. One of my coach’s main points he makes about my sprinting is to rise gradually as you get going until you are at peak height. Unlike sprinting, college hasn’t been a gradual rise. College teaches you how to deal with peaks and valleys while remaining level-headed. Not every day will be the best day ever and not every day will be the worst. Sometimes it may feel like you have lived the same day many times before. Living the same day isn’t something you will find boring, though, it creates consistency and inside consistency exists stability. Oberlin is a place where one can find stability. It is quiet but just loud enough. 

The rain trickles on. The therapeutic sound of the rain hitting the ground has mixed with the noise of a cricket chirping. A thought randomly occurred to me today: Where do butterflies go at night? I frequently see moths chasing the lights that remain on past nightfall but never a butterfly. I have never seen a butterfly at night. I guess this shows everything lives at its own pace. Some may find the twinkles of the light at night time to be the time they feel most alive, others may feel most comfortable when the sun rays touch their skin. Personally, I’ve always loved the rain. I hope it continues trickling on this October night.