With all the controversial debates going on about social justices, the Presidential Debate and what have you; needless to say, it hasn’t been everyone’s year. Though I have some fond memories, 2016 was not and continues to not be my year when it comes to luck.

A couple of weeks ago, I thought it couldn’t get worse and then I ended up breaking my jaw. But, though I tend to be a pessimist by nature, one positive has come out of it. It has shown me once again to get up, keep moving forward and just accept life as it is. 

Over the last year, I totaled my car, lost a dear friend, dealt with ever going health issues as a diabetic, lost friendships and pretty much dealt with many of the trials most college students may have to go through at some point in their college career. I know I haven’t had it the worst, but it definitely was not the best and now that it is officially the first day of November, I am going to say something I never thought I would say, “Though life may give every reason to be a pessimist, it is okay to have hope for an optimistic future.”

I know that when I am done with all the surgeries that I need to get, my history grade will not be where I want it to be. I’ve already felt the pressure of looking at my bank account quickly drop before I even started the procedure on my jaw. Honestly speaking, I have no idea what is going to happen come next year with school, work and my personal life. But, broken bone or not, I will still find the good. 

I’ve kept some old friends on The Lion’s Roar and made new ones with the new staff reporters hired this semester. I’ve already made lasting memories that I hope I can hold onto, and I’ve been able to get back into theatre through Alpha Psi Omega. APO has made me extremely happy and helped me to escape in another world that mirrors our society when I needed it the most. 

I know that I need to focus on my well being, but with all that has happened, bad stuff is always going to happen. Better to find the good or rather as I have learned, make the good happen to you.

Being a broke college student, I know that the cost of living is outrageous, especially if you are paying your way through college. But, find time to enjoy just waking up and taking a new breath. For example, I love to travel and I started to look at the best rate I could find with traveling. And now, I will be leaving for Germany at the end of the semester. Doing the math, it is cheaper to spend a month and a half in Germany over the winter break than it would be to go to Disney for just one week. My point is, you can find something you enjoy for a “reasonable” price and then just do it. You aren’t going to get any younger, bills will always be there and no matter how much we try to avoid it, bad stuff happens. It’s unavoidable, so find a way to enjoy life no matter what is going on at the current moment. I could cancel my trip to Germany due to the current circumstances, but what good will that do? At times, we need a break and life sometimes doesn’t even give the best of all people that option.

I know that winter break is ahead and finals and research papers are about to become a top concern. Yes, work is important for breaks to pay for college, but you have to enjoy those fleeting moments of time, they will never come back again. 

On a final note, my mind knows that leaving for a vacation won’t solve all my problems. When I come home, what I left will be there; the social drama and everyday issues that can’t be solved will be waiting as I open my front door. But, I’ll have an adventure in my memory, and who knows, I might even find myself starting the next stage of my life. Everybody goes through stages of life and with a tad bit of optimism, maybe breaking my jaw set the platform for another stage of my life that has nothing but an optimistic future in a world that can have so many bleak moments.