I hate it here. Okay, so that's a blatant lie, but I've been thinking it on rare occasions. What I really mean is that I'm finding sophomore year much more stressful than freshman year. Maybe the so-called "Sophomore Slump" really does exist. I discover myself counting down the days till I'm home for Thanksgiving Break much too often and sometimes wondering if I even should have come here at all.
As I go through the repetitive cycle of intense workload followed by exam cram session succeeded by mediocre midterm grade in each class, I find it terribly difficult to just relax. Last Friday I literally scheduled a day on which I would do no homework because I needed to sleep. Monday, the most cursed day of the week in my opinion, only reminded me of how much work I really didn't accomplish over the weekend. In an attempt to finish up a problem set before my next class, I grabbed lunch to go. Barely even thinking, I rushed into Chick-fil-A and picked up an eight-pack of nuggets.
And my day became infinitely better.
Now, I'm not just saying I enjoyed eating my feelings in the form of fried chicken (although their nuggets really are sinfully delightful). What I mean is that the blessed Chick-fil-A Ladies got me back on track. "How are you?" the woman ringing me up asked sincerely. With a wide smile, she swiped my DukeCard and with a flourish of her wrist, she opened a paper bag for my lunch. "Have a great day!"
It was that simple. A brief, one-minute encounter with a particularly kind and genuinely sweet individual made my day so much better.
This is something I discovered early in my freshmen year, this secret of the Chick-fil-A Ladies. Rarely, if ever, do they disappoint. In a quick stop, a brush with their kindness reminds me of two of the most important things in life:
One, make time for everyone. Now, obviously, the Chick-fil-A Ladies can't really ignore customers-they have to ring them up. But they don't have to ask how you're doing, they don't have to wish you well and they really don't have to bag your food. They could easily swipe your card and move on. But they don't, and that makes all the difference.
Two, laugh. Oftentimes I open the door to Chick-fil-A and hear some of the warmest, most joyous laughter I've ever heard. On more than one occasion when I've tried to rush through, I've failed in my attempt to balance textbooks, nuggets, chips, a Coke and the cell phone I'm usually on at the time. I usually get a little chuckle and smile from the lady ringing me up, as she watches me fail so miserably at being graceful. It's the laughing-with-you-not-at-you kind of chuckle, the kind that says "I've been there" and "Relax. Slow down" all at once. And I couldn't appreciate it more.
It's not difficult to get caught up in all the work here-whether it's for classes, jobs, research, internship opportunities... the list goes on. It's easy to forget the important stuff. Not that all of those things aren't important, but what are they if you're not a kind, genuine, happy person in the process of experiencing them? I'm practically evil when I feel bogged down by work, but it's those times that I put things in perspective and realize that ultimately my GPA is not the most important thing in life when I feel most successful.
When I'm in a rush, I almost always end up grabbing a quick bite to eat at Chick-fil-A. That is, when I feel most out of control, I, out of convenience (and perhaps coincidence) end up in the one restaurant on campus that helps put things back in perspective.
They say, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade." Well, Chick-fil-A takes my lemons and makes it into some of the best lemonade you've ever tasted.
Allie Vergotz is a Trinity sophomore. Her column runs every other Friday.
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