Class is in session, extracurricular activities have commenced and curfew is in full effect. All this can only mean one thing: a new school year has arrived. If you are anything like me, you probably spent the second half of summer break counting down the days until you could return to Harding. Over the past two years, Harding has transformed from my college to my home. So, why have all my interactions the past two weeks on campus been laden with complaints?
There seems to be a universal law that class in session means complaining is in session. Cafeteria food, parking spots, chapel — the list of potential topics goes on and on. We return to the place we have longed for, only to casually bash aspects of it conversationally.
Take the cafeteria, for example. It is the place we love to hate. I don’t think a single day has gone by so far this semester without at least one person making a negative comment about it. It is understandable, of course. Not everything served is what I would consider delectable. The fact of the matter is, no matter what the main line is serving, you can always find something worth eating. We always get a meal of some kind, but we complain regardless.
This seems to be the case with most things in life. We choose to complain almost constantly about things that could certainly be better but are by no any means horrible. Complaints are such a common conversation topic that most of us have gotten to the point where we do not consciously make the choice to complain; it happens naturally.
Unfortunately, grumbling has become a normal part of my life. Instead of exhibiting joy and kindness like Christ, I exude irritation and a bad attitude far too often. I never made the decision to become a negative person, but is that who I am naturally becoming?
Enough is enough. This year, I have decided to make a change. Complaints are going to be replaced with compliments; irritation is going to be replaced with gratitude. Instead of focusing on the small things that are not perfect, it is time to focus on the big things that are far better than I deserve.
