Time for 2017 

By Julia Rohrabaugh

Time. It’s not something to take lightly, but it’s also not something to spend your quiet moments pondering about. This idea of time, that one second gone is one you’ll never get back, can be frightening. Our time is precious, so we want to control how we spend it. What I find though, is the harder you try to control something, the more out of control it becomes.

This past year has been a tough one for me and my family, as I assume it has for many, many families. Humans have only a number of emotions, however which result from infinite possible circumstances, relationships, or moods. No matter what your situations are, there is someone out there that is feeling just the same. Honestly, I say that this year has been the greatest struggle for me in my life. I come out of it knowing that because I cannot predict what is going to happen, I cannot plan and be upset when plans change. The most pain I have ever experienced or observed is when someone loses someone in one form or another, so all other changes in plans don’t seem so bad anymore. I come out of this year with a better perspective of what brings me joy, where I place my value, and then how I should devote my time.

Taking the minutes of our life and devoting it to being with others, I’d say, is the most precious gift. Unfortunately, I see myself and other people abusing the opportunity to spend time with one another. It isn’t just time that you give to people. People need attention, they need your mind, your thoughts, conversation, ideas, plans, jokes, hobbies, interests, etc. It’s an exchange though. It is an investment. Hoping that pouring into someone, they may just pour back. It is a fact that energy is not created nor destroyed, just transferred. When we give up our energy, we are at a deficit, and we need to be filled back up again.

I come out of this year with more patience. A gift isn’t genuine when you’re expecting one right back, is it? That would be self-seeking. I am motivated to devote myself to people by knowing that everyone needs to be filled, because in truth I do not feel full myself all the time.

The new year coming around is an even greater reminder that time is continuous. However precious time is, we cannot hold it in our wallet, and choose when to spend it. We just have to keep going with it. My New Year’s Resolution is that we do not let the cruel intentions of the world stop us from relating to one another, we keep pursuing one another and don’t let each other go unseen.

The LA Transplant

By Julia Rohrabaugh

I moved to Los Angeles just over a month ago from a small town in Northern California. I’m what the Angelenos call a ‘transplant,’ someone who has recently moved to LA. My Nor Cal roots are in the central foothills, a very different environment to So Cal. We have rolling hills and one-lane roads, where here there are 8-lane freeways and desert land. Traffic here is a topic of daily conversation, so much that they call their freeways by name—The 10, The 405, The 101—and this is just the surface level of contrasts. In the beginning, my life felt surreal, like this big move was temporary arrangement, or a dream. I didn’t feel home yet, and as impatient as I am for security, this frustrated me.

Moving to a new place where I hadn’t established myself was an unknown feeling. I could be whoever I wanted, really. There are so many different people in LA, and so many different cultures, so you can be different without stress, or an explanation. It was freeing. After the initial excitement of the city faded, thinking about this also makes me sad. Feeling freedom when surrounded by people who I don’t know, those don’t know me? I did not come to LA as an escape from previous experiences, but it was then I became aware of how unhappy I must have been up north. I realized the amount of pressure I felt to do and act in ways that conflicted with who I felt I was or what I wanted to do with my life, my career, and my time. The fear of imperfection and judgment was debilitating. As a result, I avoid intimate relationships in fear that letting someone get to know me will reveal my flaws.

Going back up north for the Thanksgiving holiday made me feel the permanency of my move to LA. While I was home, I realized how the city had affected my mental health. With only five weeks in LA and I felt calmer talking to family members, sure of my decisions, and confident in my future. I wasn’t scared to talk about my ideas, job prospects, or what I’ve been doing with my friends. Without fear in my mind, I had the capacity to think and converse better. I was more secure of myself than I can remember. Driving south on The 5 finally felt like going home.

It’s said that during the holiday season we are more giving and less judging of people. I challenge you to ask yourself why this is only seasonal. How do you treat the people you love during this season, and how does it compare to the way you treat them all year round? Check your relationships, and communicate. Do not give up on these people, but forgive them for their mistakes. Understand, because they really are just trying to do the best they can, the same as you. Our struggles may be different, but the emotions are the same, and that is something we all have in common. No matter how far away you are, you can always talk to someone. There is no reason to wait, because what really are you waiting for? Don’t wait to become a transplant in an unknown city to figure out you haven’t been fair to the ones you love.