Something To Live For

photo by arantxa villa

Something To Live For

third-year alexis kelley

I wanna talk about chaos. There’s so much of it in the world. I was thinking about it the other day when I was in the car with my roommates. We were on the way to Augusta riding with the windows down. My happiest place is in the car. It’s the place that inspires me the most. And at this particular moment, I was focused on the wind that was blowing around in the car.

The sun was setting and we were driving over a really long bridge, so I could see the water. It was one of those stunning reflective sunsets that makes the entire sky a deep shade of orange and pink. And I was at peace. But at the same time, I wasn’t in a peaceful environment. My hair was being whipped back and forth by the different streams of the wind and our music was blasting loudly so that we could hear it over the obnoxious wind and we were laughing at how badly we had to pee. It was kinda chaotic.

But I couldn’t help but think that’s how life is. There is so much chaos going on. So much noise and things pushing us around, but so many times, chaos isn’t bad. Many times, it’s actually fun. Take for example another recent event in our lives: the Braves winning the World Series. In Truist, the moment that the game was over, there was an explosion of fireworks and people screaming and dancing. The players were thanking their wives on TV and the fans were running around the field in excitement. It was the best kind of chaotic.

So why does chaos have such a negative connotation? It means “a state of utter confusion or disorder; a total lack of organization or order”. Confusion sounds bad. Disorder sounds bad. But are they? Last night, my roommate said that she loves black and white pictures of people because it takes out all the chaos of color and focuses on just the person. It becomes easier to then just look at their face and appreciate all it’s been through. With that in mind, I tend to think that it’s not chaos that is bad, but instead the lack of focus.

In the blustery wind or the screaming fans or even just the colorful world, it’s important to remember the need for focus. When we take a minute to look around and appreciate the moments we’re experiencing, that’s when chaos becomes peaceful. There’s no need to go off into the woods alone to find inner peace. Instead, pay attention to the narrative unfolding around you. Look chaos in the eyes and appreciate it. See what it has to offer and how it makes life sweet and fun. Forget the stressful connotations with confusion and disorder and instead recognize that it’s a part of life that leads to some of the most amazing moments of your life.

Roll down the windows today. I know it’s a little cold, but it’ll remind you to embrace the chaos. Then I hope the other moments of chaos become instances you look forward to instead of dread. Take it all in and enjoy it. The push and pull of it all is something to live for.