Two years ago, my roommate and I decided a street curb is one of the worst places you can be caught sitting. During my second year, I jokingly referred to our room as “the workshop” because we were two overly imaginative 19-year-olds who spent our free time formulating crazy business plans in the hopes of getting rich, quitting school and escaping our accounting homework. Currently, as two graduating fourth-years, my roommate and I obviously didn’t quit school to start a business, but there is a principle we created during the year that still motivates us: when opportunity knocks, don’t be a curb-sitter.
A curb-sitter is someone who is sitting slouched down on a bustling street corner, knowing that he or she wants to explore a park which is just a crosswalk away, but because of fear of the unknown, lethargy or preoccupation with the opinions of passersby, chooses not to get up and accomplish the goal of crossing the street. In the meantime, life doesn’t slow down; the street corner becomes increasingly chaotic as people walk to and from class, cars speed by leaving behind debris and everyone begins to mistake the curb-sitter for a very lifelike street statue. If this predicament sounds entirely unfulfilling, it’s because it is — people aren’t meant to sit on the curb! You’re meant to live outside of yourself and take some chances. People who stay on the curb may feel a false sense of comfort, but opportunities are speeding past them faster than the cars zooming down the street.
Throughout my four years at the University, many of the relationships and experiences that have made my time here meaningful are a result of my getting off of the curb. For instance, if I had only applied for positions for which I was completely qualified and prepared, I wouldn’t have been elected vice president of my service organization or been offered a competitive marketing internship despite the fact that I was a politics major with zero business experience. Additionally, if I always waited for people to leave the park and to come hang out with me on the curb, I wouldn’t have the good friends I’m so thankful for today. Getting off the curb does not have to be an elaborate ceremony or huge spectacle at which everyone on the sidewalk stops and stares. It can be as simple as inviting someone to eat lunch with you or beginning to go to office hours regularly because you admit you need help in your calculus course. What you decide to do to get closer to your destination across the street doesn’t need to be big — it just needs to be something. In the words of Nike, “just do it.”
Often, we hesitate to get off the curb because we fear failure and don’t understand the traffic signals that are before us. While we ruminate over whether or not we are going to cross the street, the stop signal turns into a walk sign, leading to the countdown of numbers reminding us that the clock is ticking for us to make our move and cross the street. Admittedly, I am often an overly analytical person. When faced with a curb I pray, analyze and ask for advice, repeating this cycle countless times until I drive myself crazy and end up rocking back and forth on the curb in the fetal position. While it’s necessary and beneficial to reflect before making a choice, at a certain point you must decide — am I going to cross the crosswalk or not? Kicking pebbles on the curb is not helping you move onward. At some point, you must decide where you want your next destination to be and commit to walking there.
Whether you have two years or two months left at the University, use this time to practice getting off the curb and take some risks. Believe in yourself and have the courage to get off of the curb when opportunity arises and especially when the traffic light is clearly signaling the cars to stop for you to cross. When it comes to pursuing a goal, don’t be impeded by fear. I can’t guarantee that the other side of the crosswalk will look exactly how you envisioned it, but I do know I’ve never regretted getting off the curb. I’ve always learned more about myself and where I wanted to go as a result of standing up. So, carpe diem— seize the day! Remember, sometimes the grass really is greener on the other side.
Andréa N. Willis is a fourth-year trustee.
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