Life pre-arrest:
I am a naturally busy person - in that I can't NOT have something to do. See, even here I decided to start a blog....so I can be doing something in the downtime where I have nothing to do. Being the busy person that I am I found myself in a life CHOCK FULL of things to do...and realistically no time to do them. To summarize, I am a microbiology major, biochemistry minor, pre-med aspirerer (I know that's not a word, but I like it), Young life leader, full time philosopher (always been my downfall - thinking is as unfortunate a pastime as it is inspiring), avid snowboarder, world traveler, and friend.
(okay, The Kooks - Naive just came on in the coffee shop ("Para" in Charlottesville, soooo lovely - get the Red Eye if you are a fan of boldness) and I had to take a moment and appreciate serendipity).
In the song "3AM" by Matchbox Twenty "She gets sad when there's nothing going on," was written about me. (I know common belief is that Rob Thomas wrote this song about his mother, but its not...it's about me, I'm sure of it).
I guess a cinematic mind would claim that my life was "spiraling out of control". Really, on all levels everything was a little unstable. I couldn't make a decent grade if I tried, I couldn't sustain a relationship with a certain "musician man" probably because of my inability to relax, because the only time I stopped going going going was when I was sleeping sleeping sleeping. Honestly on the first time we hung out...I invited him over so he could type code on his computer and I could study for an immunology exam - romantic. I wasn't really being an effective mentor to the high school girls I was seeing day to day, in my opinion, I was a "bare minimum" type of leader. (Spoon - Summon You) I think a good thing I had going for me was that alcohol and marijuana were not my poison of choice (I succumb to self deprecation mostly these days), I had gotten that out of my system the year my dad got cancer and I lived in a little box in the basement of the engineering dorm through the longest, coldest winter I can ever remember in the strange and lonely state that is Pennsylvania. Since we're looking on the bright side of things, a lot of quality poetry came out of that year (if I do say so myself), and all of it is in an obscurely named file in the depths of my computer only to be read on the sunniest of days.
One might think this is a pretty dark introspection...but I think it's fair, especially since life is so full of light these days.
The catalyst of such a wonderful turn of events? One fateful night I got arrested. Legitimately handcuffed, put in the back of a cop car, fingerprinted and photographed. The reason: DUI. I must clarify, I'm not a big drinker. There is the infrequent occassion where I let loose after a tough week of exams, or celebrate something momentous. In fact, I verbally scorned such people who would even THINK about driving a motor vehicle while intoxicated. So naturally I decided to do it. Post drinking a few beers I got in my car to go home. I made it two blocks before being pulled over by a State College police man for driving without my headlights (in a well lit downtown area, in a rental car, on State Patty's day weekend no less...for all you Penn staters). So that was that. I was done for....
But I wasn't. Since then, and maybe I am wrongly assuming that this enlightenment is a product of my decisions and not the changing of seasons, I am entirely more happy. The arrest allowed me to survey my life, and do a little rearranging. (Steely Dan - Do it Again). In the following week I landed a job working in a lab this summer doing biochemistry research, I found a place to live during the summer, I found more time to study for my upcoming exams, I made so many new friends at this small cafe in downtown State College: A wonderful girl named Megan, a man named Thomas who has been such a rock (and source of good, dark chocolate), Igor, T.C., Dan, Amy...to name a few. All people who have been such a comfort and joy to me.
In the Grand Scheme of things: even getting arrested can be a good thing, a great thing. Of course there are obvious consequences, so choose your offense wisely, but understand (making a rough generalization) When you pray to God for direction, for wisdom (as I was), but don't listen and watch for the ways He is presenting opportunities to you, sometimes we just need to be arrested - Taken aside by Him and put in "time out" for a little while - if anything to take an unadulterated evaluation of what life is and where it is going. (The National - All the Wine)
-SK
