Ginis Chronicles: Auckland Adventure

There is a palpable feeling in the air that summer is winding down here. This Monday, February 28^th, is the first day of classes for the University of Auckland undergrads, and the campus is a buzz with excited, frantic and confused looking students. In the cafeteria where I am now sitting, you can see several groups congregating in that way people do when they seek support from their peers. There is a real sense of enthusiasm and anxiety in their interaction, and a realization hits like a ton of bricks. At this moment, sitting alone among these students, I do not feel 40years old, but rather like a new student on my first day at McMaster University.

If you are searching for the fountain of youth, try sitting among new students during the first few days of school and open yourself to the bittersweet feeling of anxious potential that hangs over them like a fog. It is a feeling that anything, and everything, is possible...but with a hint of doubt mixed in, to make it real.

I had forgotten that feeling. I now realise that I used to experience it every September, even when I was a teacher. On reflection, I realise that this feeling is not exclusive to students, or teachers. It is available to anyone who is open to the potential of the future - and this is the tricky part for us jaded 'old people' - with only a HINT of cynicism. For you parents out there, whose kids are still at school, make sure you are there for there first day of school next September. While you are there, sit alone for a moment and clear you mind, suppress any cynicism or anxiety you may harbour, and try to feel what your children are feeling as they start to interact with their friends and teachers. It's quite a powerful feeling.

Sitting here as I write this note, I know that this is just a moment in these people's lives; but I wonder if they realize how lucky they are. Perhaps they are thinking the same thing about me. I doubt it; they are too busy being nervous, excited, scared, hopeful...young.