The Prospector (Helena, Mont.) 1916-2015, November 09, 2006, Image 13

Page Freshman shares her views on the Carroll community column bv kathleen tarrant t I 1 S d li I’ve been blessed in my life to have encountered some of the strongest people to walk on this Earth. They not only do well in what they put their hearts and souls into, but they do something that almost no one can do; they fail hor­ ribly and don’t hide it. That’s right. There are no dark comers for these strong individuals to hide in, there is no option of putting a Band-Aid on the emotional wound. I have a friend who if you ask her how she is, she’ll actually respond. She won’t dump emotional issues on you when you’re just passing, but sometimes she’ll say, “yeah, it’s been a hard week.” It always as­ tounds and impresses me, because sometimes it’s actually very hard to reveal that you are encountering challenges and they are actually challenging you! It’s an incredible tragedy that humankind expects of ourselves what we don’t expect of each other; to have to hide how hard life is from everyone. True strength in life is found in the abil­ ity to fall, to fail, to land face down in the mud and look up again and realize that life goes on. To accept a helping hand. We aren’t bul­ letproof, and there is no reason to pretend we are. My confession is this; sometimes when I’m in church on Sundays I feel that my weak­ nesses and fears are out of place in a sea of apparent perfection. But it is then that I realize it has been society that has been tell­ ing me that my strengths and gifts define who I am, and that this isn’t so.- The resolve that it requires to let down your fake smile and lift your eyes to see that the world around you isn’t perfect either is something that every human, no matter how wise or strong, must work every day to achieve. It is like when I walk down the hall every morning and I see those around me avert their eyes and avoid looking at each other. I find it so I end up smiling at someone’s beautifully done hair, but not ever getting to see their eyes. On Fresh­ man Retreat we were made to look into another person’s eyes and not break the gaze. I had heard the saying before, but I understood it then; eyes are truly the window to the soul. And that can be a fright­ ening thing, allowing someone you barely know to look into your eyes and see a glimpse of who you are. But we are who we are! We Get Spill-Ovr ' Minutes and carry your unused minutes over from month to month* only at Chinook Wireless. Unlike some wireless companies, Chinook Wireless lets you carry your unused minutes over from month to month. Hey, you bought those minutes-you should keep them! With Spill-Ovr\ Minutes those unused minutes will be there when you need them. And that's no watered down deal! Chinook W I R E L E S S ™ ©000 Yourself » H elena 3215 Dredge Drive, Suite B 1*1,9-0900 T.C. Pro Audio 1516 North Montana Avenue 1*57-5618 •Spill-Ovr\ minutes accumulate and expire through 12 rolling bill periods. Spill-Ovr“ will also expire immediately upon default or if customer changes to a non-Spill-Ovr“ plan. Spill-Ovr\ minutes are not redeemable for cash or credit and are not transferable. Night and Weekend and Mobile-to-Mobile minutes do not carry over. If you change from one Spill-Ovr\ plan to another Spill-Ovr\ plan, any accumulated Spill-Ovr\ minutes in excess of the new plan's number of monthly anytime minutes will expire upon such change. Spill-Ovr\ Minutes not available on all calling plans. Some restrictions apply. See store for details. are not what we do! When I first got here a few months ago I tried to define myself by what I owned or what I did. The truth is, what we do is an expression of who we are. I am not a guitar player or singer. I am a girl who expresses who I am through music. This is what I find peace in. A person who plays basketball can’t be defined as just a basketball player. They are a person who expresses themselves through teamwork and athletics. My good friend is not just a photographer. Looking at her photographs you could say, “what an amazing photographer.” But if you leave it at that, then you aren’t doing the human spirit justice. She is an amazing person who is able to show that through her photogra­ phy. Those in our culture who are admired for what they do and not who they are, I feel must have very empty friendships. If all someone cares about is what you do, and not why you do it, then they aren’t concerned with the person. We are all adults now, though I know as a freshman sometimes I do get the mentality that I’ve started over and should subscribe to the notion that I have little to offer since I’m at the bot­ tom of the proverbial totem pole. But that is ridiculous! My core has not changed, and I have as much to offer to Carroll, and the world, as someone who has been here for four years! So does everyone else. As a student at Carroll, though, you have some tools that very few colleges offer to help you when you’re feeling down. To be a real man, or a real woman, and let down your guard to truly better yourself and grow closer to oth­ ers. To define yourself by who you really are, and allow others to do the same. One of those tools is the Kirchen ministry. Every floor of the residence halls has a Kirchen, and from my experiences with them they are more than willing to listen without judgment, and to try their best to get to know the sincere, unique person that resides in each one of us. Second, are all the activities the campus offers. It seems impossible with a student’s schedule to actually be able to par­ ticipate in anything but the many classes that weigh us down, but to the contrary, activities bring us together with people who are more likely to understand who we are and what we need. Peace of mind is not a “go it alone” mentality, it Community” continued on page 14 Don't get hosed by your wireless company. And at Chinook Wireless get the freedom of no required long-term contracts f Thursdav, November 9,2006 Volume 90, No 2