In tenth grade I moved schools and didn't know anyone. I was taking chorus and sat next to a girl in my grade. The first week she was really nice, but it was kind of awkward. Then one class our teacher brought up Finding Nemo. The girl, Nicole and I started talking about the fish, Dori and the part where she makes whales noises. We ended up making whale noises the entire class instead of singing and cried laughing when the teacher asked us to stop. If it wasn't for our teacher randomly bringing up Finding Nemo, Nicole and I might have never become best friends.
On a more serious note I started thinking about how I ended up at Florida State. My college applications were already done and I had applied to 7 small schools. Over thanksgiving break my mom decided to tell me that I should have applied to some bigger schools because she doesn't see me at a small one. Of course she freaks me out and I apply to the first big school I can think of. If it wasn't for that one moment where my mom decided to freak me out I would have never ended up at FSU.
Since being at FSU I decided to join a sorority. During rush week we were assigned a rho gam who helps us throughout the whole process. Going through rush the only house I wanted was Delta Zeta. On the last day I told my rho gam I only wanted to write down Delta Zeta and that if I didn't get Delta Zeta I wasn't going to join a sorority. She sat me down and convinced me to at least consider Gamma Phi Beta. I ended up putting down two sororities just to be safe. On bid day I was so upset when I didn't get Delta Zeta. Now it has been about a month and I absolutely love Gamma Phi Beta. I owe it all to my rho gam. If she had not taken that moment to convince me to consider Gamma Phi Beta my college experience would be completely different.
I truly believe everything happens for a reason whether we know the reason or not. It's hard to even comprehend how much little moments and decisions really effect your life. At the same time writing this blog has made me realize there are way too many little moments I stress over. For example writing this blog. At the end of my life I don't think my grade on this one blog will have changed anything.
I really like all of the examples you put in the blog from your own life. They all show the wide range of even the smallest choices we make from day to day, or something that we will remember for the rest of our lives. Everything we do, whether we realize it or not, has a large impact on us. Just like you I was not originally planning on coming to Florida State because I thought I wanted to stay close to home and be with my family. After sitting down and talking with my dad, I made the choice to attend FSU. That is probably one of the larger choices I have made lately, but I am extremely glad I made that choice and may later come to realize the greater significance of coming to this university.
ReplyDeleteThe example of Gamma Phi Beta is so accurate for so many girls rushing. My brothers girlfriend rushed and had her heart set on Thetas, but did not get a bid. Her Rho Gamma had the same talk with her and convinced her to continue. Now shes in Tri-Delta and couldn't be happier. Its funny how common that experience is. I can also agree that we dont realize how big moments are until we look back at them. Retrospect always reveals the meaning of moments.
ReplyDeleteIt is so true! I know exactly what you are talking about. I also rushed and I ended up at Phi Mu. My mom was a Phi Mu here and she kept telling me to choose what I wanted. I kept trying to fight the situation and be my own person. I didn't want to be the same as my mom. The moment when I walked into the house on pref day and saw the Hunter (the girl who rushed me day 1) smiling at me, I knew in my heart that was where I was meant to be! It really is small moments like these that impact our lives so greatly.
ReplyDeleteLittle moments and actions can most definitely change your life. Like you mentioned at the beginning of your essay, leaving chickfila a bit earlier or later could cause prevented an accident. Two summers ago my friends and I sat at Walgreens for 10 minutes deciding if we should take one or two cars. If we had left one minute later in one car I would never have totaled my car on my way to my friends house. Every little decision we make affects us. I'm glad you are happy with you sorority! I could totally see myself making myself/ year miserable because I did not get into the sorority I hoped for. But life is about taking what you have and making the best of it!
ReplyDeleteThis is so true. I think the little moments in life can define the rest of it. I fully believe that certain people are put into our lives to help us reach where we need to be. When I had to come to the decision of where to go for college, I had absolutely no idea. Thank goodness for my family and close friends because they convinced me to come to FSU over a small private school. I was highly considering going to this private school and I would always argue with everyone who told me not too. As I look back now, I couldn't imagine myself being in a small town with small minded people. I love it here and I wouldn't want to change it at all! All thanks to the people that mean the most to me.
ReplyDeleteTotally with you on this one! I always find myself wondering how different my life would be if I left suwanne now... vs now... vs now... would I be a completely different person? Or sometimes a small decision like this might just affect your life a tiny bit. You don't talk to a random stranger, or you dont find that one dollar bill on the ground. It definitely does blow my mind that I might not be friends with my best friend if I hadn't been in one random place at one random time. Interesting thought!
ReplyDeleteI love those moments in life where something really small and unimportant happens that has a huge outcome. I was accepted to the SLS program, which is a leadership seminar that takes place a week before school. I was going to deny the opportunity because I didn't want to leave a week earlier then all of my friends. The only reason I did it was because it was more convenient for my parents to move me in earlier then later. Little did I know, some of my best friends today are from SLS. I’m so happy I decided to go because it changed my life and opened so many doors for me on the FSU campus.
ReplyDeleteSo true! Some moments that seem so important end up being little more than a distant memory. While some moments that seem inconsequential at the time can play a huge part in our lives. It is amazing how a single moment can change or define our lives. For instance, a few hours ago my friends and I were out and we stopped at a Walgreens. We could not decide what we wanted to get at all and so we spent a little longer in there than we had planned. As we were exiting we heard sirens, and as we turned towards the noise we saw a car less the 200 ft away on fire. If we had not taken a long time to find the perfect snack, I may have witnessed or worse been in that car crash. Like you said it truly is scary to think how some moments can forever change our lives. Sorry that this is so depressing and scary, but I thought it was a good example of how single moments have the potential to alter our whole world.
ReplyDeleteI totally understand where you are coming from. I get what your talking about with the whole greek rush thing. Coming into FSU I was set on joining the Phi Kappa Alpha fraternity. My dad was a Pike, along with my grandpa, uncle, cousin, etc. During rush week, I got my bid from Pike but I wanted to see what else was out there. A lot of my friends from back home were looking in to Sigma Chi so I decided to give it a chance. I ended up fitting in really well and a lot of my close friends had previously accepted their bids and I decided to do the same. I felt comfortable and I saw myself fitting in best at Sigma Chi even though I was going to break the family legacy. Everything happens for a reason and I believe this was the best decision for me and hopefully I'll be able to start a legacy of my own.
ReplyDeleteThis topic is definitively something i can relate too. Its crazy how a simple decision or specific moment can have such a big impact on your life. 5 months ago, some of my best friends were planning a trip from Ft. Lauderdale to live oak for a 3 day music festival. At first i told them i would go, but weeks later i bailed and decided to stay. Sadly on the way back from the festival my friends were in a car accident. 2 of them passed away and one is paralyzed below the waist and in a wheel chair for the rest of his life. I still cant get over the fact that i could have been there, i honestly wonder if me being there would've made a difference. Anyways sorry for the sad story but this topic made me think about how a decision can literally cost you your life.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you. You never know when that next important moment occurs that will change you forever. I remember one day in seventh grade my mom was driving me to the bus stop and I noticed a kid waiting at the wrong place. So I told my mom to stop the car and we gave the kid a ride to the correct bus stop. The kid ended up being one my closest friends to this day and I can not believe it started with this one simple moment. If I had been daydreaming or looking at my cellphone I might have missed meeting one of my closest friends. It is really true one moment can honestly change your life in a positive or negative way.
ReplyDeleteI can so relate to this and I love all of the examples. FSU was not my first choice for college but I also believe that everything happens for a reason. During my senior year I jumped on the UF bandwagon and I had my heart set on going there. I became involved as much as I possibly could just to put it on my application. When I found out that I didn't get in I was truly devestated and kept thinking that I wasn't good enough. I went and talked to a counselor at my high school and she told me to consider FSU. So I thought about it and decided to accpet without even visiting. After going through orientation and being here for a month I know that this is the place for me and that I probably would have been miserable at that other school. It's the little things that truly change your life forever.
ReplyDeleteI'm really enjoying these blog posts today. I believe that no matter what decisions you make in life, it is the little moments that define you. Just reminiscing about moments in my childhood can make me overwhelmed with a nostalgic surge of emotions. It's beautiful that we as human beings can recall emotions from the past so well. Even if we don't remember all the details of a particular moment, the emotions that guided and preceded that moment can still be felt. I do not regret my past even though I made mistakes. We cannot change that, and I choose to embrace it instead.
ReplyDeleteLittle things are always the things that mean that most, and are usually the things that will change your life the most. I've learned from my dad that 99.99% of the time "In the skeem of life, it means absolutely nothing" and i've found this to be absolutely true. I never wanted to come to FSU as i was born and raised a Gator, and will die a Gator, but i am happy that i am here now. I am a double legacy at UF and was really pissed off when i didn't get in, but i look at it now and UF is not what it used to be when my dad and brother went there and i fit in better at FSU because UF has changed so drastically.
ReplyDeleteIt is completely true that it is the little things in life that truly shape us and effect what happens to us. There is one particular "Scrubs" episode that explains how the smallest thing, even a butterfly landing somewhere, can change the outcome of everyones day. It is crazy to think that something this minuscule can alter an entire day. There is also an episode of "How I Met Your Mother" that tells how the choice of a bagel place, a magazine article, and a hobo was important enough to possibly ruin the meeting of one characters future wife. It still amazes me today how many little things can change us and our lives.
ReplyDeletei agree with you completely. And i love both the "Scrubs" reference and "How I Met Your Mother" reference from the comment above me Kaity haha. Anyways, its weird how one moment can change so much. I was a junior in high school and I was waiting to be picked up after school. My girlfriend at the time was with me and she was leaving with her mom and two best friends. They offered me a ride and I hesitated for a couple seconds and agreed. We dropped off one friend and were on the way to my house when out of nowhere, we t-boned another car. Everyone but me got pretty injured so i hated myself for awhile. If iI didn't get in things could've been different. They are all alright now but its crazy how a couple seconds could have changed the outcome. Sorry for the sad story.
ReplyDeleteEveryone has some many moments in their lives. I guess choosing to come here is an important one as well as others. This will definitely help us for writing the next essay. I personally think sororities and fraternities are "buying friendships." Sorry if you all disagree with me on that. I am just so grateful that I go to school here because I am enjoying every single second of it (or almost).
ReplyDeleteI had no idea you didn't want Gamma phi Beta! That's exactly how I was too. I wanted ADpi, then ChiO and I was kind of upset when they dropped me. But now i am obsessed with Gamma Phi and I couldn't be happier. I understand what you mean by things happening for a reason. I don't know if you have ever watched Benjamin Button, but it goes over that exact situation. The girl gets hit by a truck and she ends up breaking her leg, hendering her dancing career forever. And it went back in time saying if only the door was a little bit heavier when she opened it to the street, or perhaps maybe if the delivery truck that hit her was running late, they wouldn't have both met at that awful time, causing that horrific event to happen.
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