Phenomena in Need of Names
by David Hoffman and Craig Berger
1. That moment of hesitation and uncertainty after you hear a greeting or compliment but didn't see the person say it, and so can’t be sure whether it was directed at you.
2. The impulse of each generation to invent or appropriate its own words for “great!” (cool, rad, hot, tight, on point, etc.).
3. The occasional, usually brief interval in which all of the inanimate objects you encounter (your car keys, hairbrush, sandwich) slip out of your hands, malfunction, break, get in your way, or otherwise hinder your progress.
4. The turning point when you decide to pursue the major and career path you really want, rather than those you had felt pressured or obligated to pursue.
5. The point in the semester at which it's just completely impossible not to have arrived at a long break, and yet weeks remain.
6. The period after you've had a difficult experience that has probably made you stronger and wiser but before you have had an opportunity to apply your new strength and wisdom (and so prove to yourself that they exist).
7. Moments that will, in retrospect, turn out to be the beginnings of stories that define you (e.g., meeting your future significant other for the first time), but which, when they occur, seem perfectly ordinary.
4. The turning point when you decide to pursue the major and career path you really want, rather than those you had felt pressured or obligated to pursue.
5. The point in the semester at which it's just completely impossible not to have arrived at a long break, and yet weeks remain.
6. The period after you've had a difficult experience that has probably made you stronger and wiser but before you have had an opportunity to apply your new strength and wisdom (and so prove to yourself that they exist).
7. Moments that will, in retrospect, turn out to be the beginnings of stories that define you (e.g., meeting your future significant other for the first time), but which, when they occur, seem perfectly ordinary.
8. The problem of being only 80% sure you've remembered someone’s name correctly, but being beyond the point in your acquaintance when it is reasonable to ask.
9. The sense that you are probably being watched, right at this moment, by a squirrel.
10. The point at which the awfulness of an experience starts to be diminished by anticipation of the awesome status update you'll soon be able to share on social media.
11. The moment when someone offers a friendly, parting thought and you say, "You, too!," when it doesn't apply to them.
12. The unearned sense of accomplishment you feel when finding an open parking spot at a prime location.
10. The point at which the awfulness of an experience starts to be diminished by anticipation of the awesome status update you'll soon be able to share on social media.
11. The moment when someone offers a friendly, parting thought and you say, "You, too!," when it doesn't apply to them.
12. The unearned sense of accomplishment you feel when finding an open parking spot at a prime location.
Suggestions?
Co-Create UMBC is a blog for and about UMBC, written by David Hoffman and Craig Berger from Student Life. Join the Co-Create UMBC group on MyUMBC. Like Co-Create UMBC on Facebook. And follow David and Craig on Twitter.
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Posted: February 16, 2014, 4:46 PM