Given how expensive college is, I assumed that I would learn some pretty important information through my classes, but as it turns out, the most important thing I learned this semester was not taught to me in any of my classes. I learned this lesson free of charge. How’s that for some irony? Through all the craziness caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, I have learned this: nothing is guaranteed.

The only thing that we can truly be certain about is the past and even that can be hazy sometimes. We live in a society that emphasizes the future, though. In high school, we’re told to think about college, and in college we’re told to think about our career, but the truth is, we never even know what tomorrow will bring. Sure, we can make assumptions about the future based off of probability, like the sun will probably rise tomorrow morning and I’ll probably wake up and join my class via Zoom. But you just never know. Now don’t get me wrong, planning ahead is super important, but at any given time, those plans can go right out the window. With so much uncertainty in the future, I have learned to place emphasis on the present and enjoy life as it happens rather than longing for something that may or may not come further down the road. For example, when this quarantine began, I was hoping it would be over soon so I could go back to hanging out with my friends. Now, I focus more on enjoying the time I have with my family because it’s likely the last chance I’ll get to spend this much time with them.

I’ve also found that focusing on the present can help with the stress that comes with thinking of the future. Whenever I start to feel overwhelmed, a walk in the woods or a kayak fishing adventure never fails to put my mind at ease. Focusing in on the sounds of the birds chirping or the rustling of the leaves in the wind can be extremely calming. In the future, a pandemic or similar tragedy could yank those privileges away from me, so I enjoy it while I can.

-Nick Whaley