Nobody ever wants to see or hear about any tragic event, but the truth of the matter is that they still happen every day. Every day, something awful happens to someone, somewhere in the world. But when it's somewhere else in the world and not somewhere or someone that directly affects you, then it's easy to not pay that much attention to it. You can acknowledge that this bad thing has happened and feel sorry for whoever was affected, but at the end of the day, you'll be thankful that it wasn't you or anyone you know and then you'll move on with your life.
If you're from a small town, you know that when tragedy strikes, it affects everyone. In a small town, everyone knows everyone so even if you don't personally know whoever was directly affected, odds are that someone else that you're close to does.
If you go to a small college, you also know that when tragedy strikes, it affects everyone. At a small college, you know a good majority of the people that also attend the college, even if you're not friends or even if you don't know their name odds, are you've probably seen each other a couple hundred times walking around on campus or eating food in the dining hall.
When tragedy strikes, whether it's finding out someone from your hometown has died or finding out someone on your college campus has been diagnosed with cancer, it affects the lives of many people. When a tragedy strikes on small towns or colleges, everyone comes together in support. Finding out someone or their family member is really sick can take an emotional and mental toll on someone. Finding out about the death of a loved one or a friend can also add on to the distress. In small towns and colleges, people care about one another and I think that's why, when a tragedy strikes, it hits so much harder.
Recently, a tragedy struck my small college campus. The life of another student was lost only a couple hundred feet from where I live. I did not personally know this person, but that does not mean it did not affect me or any of the people around me.
Death is a sad and scary part of life. Generally speaking, as college students, we are supposed to be having the time of our lives. We feel as though we could live forever and that we're untouchable in so many situations. But that is not the case.
As much as I wish tragedies never had to happen, they do allow for a lot of self-reflection. The tragedy on my campus caused me to really look at my life, especially in the last week. I had been so concerned with my midterm grades and yes, school and grades are important, but what I get on my midterm for one course is not a life or death situation. It will not be a tragedy if I do not receive above a 90 on an exam. This week, I complained every single day because it was 70 degrees outside in October and the heat was on in my dorm. Is that annoying and ridiculous? Yes. But is it a tragic? No, not even close.
When a tragedy happens, it helps people realize everything that they take for granted, that they should not. It also gives people time to self-reflect and remind themselves what's really important to them and how it's important to not sweat the little things, especially if they're not going to matter in 5 years or even in 5 months. I hope someday tragedies will not have to happen in order for people to step back and realize what's valuable to them.
