John Lindenau
Ask someone around campus what they were most excited about when they got home for Pacing Break. I bet you’ll hear a lot of people talk about their pets.
Whether you prefer dogs, cats, fish or guinea pigs, animals have a profound ability to make us feel comfortable and at home. Without pets in our lives at school, we lack a source of stability and companionship that makes the long winter months all the more stressful.
During colder weather, drearier days and tougher exams, our pets become our last bastion of hope. They become the unsung heroes of our lives. Even if you don’t own any pets, you can appreciate the joy your friends have when they see the love that their animals give them.
After the first round of 4 o’clocks have passed, academic material becomes more difficult and stressful. Fall days and winter nights can quickly overwhelm any student and amplify their need to seek comfort from friends, family and especially one of my favorite furry friends: dogs.
Our dogs offer us a shoulder to lean on, an ever-present friend that doesn’t judge or malign us for our problems. They sit with us, offering silent support in times of need.
If this is your first semester away from home, it might be the first time without that companionship and support. Life can quickly become overwhelming through the sheer amount of work and pressure thrown at you as the semester progresses.
Dogs aren’t just pets. They hold a deeper meaning to people.
When we leave for college, we leave behind everything in our lives we’ve become accustomed to. We leave our parents behind, our rooms empty and our hometown friends on their own.
Dogs are the purest embodiment of familiarity and comfort. We have this innate connection, even when seeing some random dog walking down the street. They represent everything we leave behind, and coming home to visit them immediately brings forth memories we cherish.
You can see this desire in people as we get deeper into the semester. The pressure is getting to be too much: they say they just want to go home and curl up with their dogs.
Simply seeing a dog on campus can summon memories from our minds and make us homesick. Something as innocent as seeing someone walk their dog or play fetch with them takes on a new meaning as we spend more and more time at Lehigh.
But that’s not always a bad thing.
Seeing dogs reminds us that while things might be complex at school, there is a constant companion at home waiting to love us unconditionally upon our return. We get another burst of energy for the home stretch of the semester. The thought of our pets gives us a second wind, allowing us to push harder to accomplish goals that previously seemed impossible.
Keep your eyes open and talk to people about their dogs, about any of their pets. The truth is, everyone feels lonely. The thought of something as simple as a dog might be all they have. We’re all here at Lehigh together — it’s our job to watch out for each other, support our peers and keep each other focused when our work becomes overwhelming.
That’s the true college experience.
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John Lindenau, ’20, is an associate sports editor and columnist for The Brown and White. He can be reached at [email protected].
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