Literature has a way of playing with our memory. We read old
stories and novels from all sorts of genres, from Lord of the Rings to Oliver
Twist, and we are reminded of our innocent childhood days. A time when our only
big responsibility was to make sure we cleaned our room before we could slump
on the couch with a good book in our hands.  

In a way literature works like music. When we hear old tunes
from our childhood, our minds race back in time to that moment when we heard
that song. Whether it be in the car with friends just simply jamming out with
the windows down in the summer, or in the kitchen of your grandma’s house,
baking cookies. 

Yet, the memories evoked are not limited to our childhood.
Literature has the power to trigger memories of events that happened not long
ago, but still influenced our paths in life. For me, my memory was sparked by a
poem.

The
Journey

By
Mary Oliver

One
day you finally knew

What
you had to do, and began,

Though
the voices around you

Kept
shouting

Their
bad advice--

Though
the whole house

Began
to tremble

And
you felt the old tug

At
your ankles.

"Mend
my life!"

Each
voice cried.

But
you didn't stop.

You
knew what you had to do,

Though
the wind pried

With
its stiff fingers

At
the very foundations,

Though
their melancholy

Was
terrible.

It
was already late

Enough,
and a wild night,

And
the road full of fallen

Branches
and stones.

But
little by little,

As
you left their voices behind,

The
stars began to burn

Through
the sheets of clouds,

And
there was a new voice

Which
you slowly

Recognized
as your own,

That
kept you company

As
you strode deeper and deeper

Into
the world,

Determined
to do

The
only thing you could do--

Determined
to save

The
only life you could save.

This
poem offers a beautiful description of both perseverance and
self-discovery. Mary
Oliver’s language is simple, yet so profound and fresh that it allows readers
to emotionally connect to her words and ideas. This
poem describes what it’s like to discover one’s own vocation – something that
you realize you “have to do” in your life, whether it’s changing career paths
or going on some extraordinary trip around the world. It’s not just about
discovering, but also about chasing this dream despite what other people
think.  People fear judgment, especially from peers or family.

This
poem takes me back to a memory that changed not only my direction in life, but
also the person who I have become. Here is my story:

Atlanta,
a bustling city, home to about 450,000 people, is the cultural and economic
center of Georgia. It was the location of the 1996 Summer Olympics and is home
to the Atlanta Braves National baseball team. Historically, this city has
witnessed struggle and victory during both the Civil War and the 1960s Civil
Rights Movement. It is home to two Nobel Peace Prize winners, Martin Luther
King Jr., and president Jimmy Carter. Before I knew it, this wondrous city was
soon to be my new home.

I
attended Emory University in Atlanta during the fall of 2013. Like every first
year college student, I was excited to meet new people, explore a new area, and
make friends, but I was also a little nervous about leaving my hometown of
Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

The
first couple months in school were exciting. Classes were going well and I met
a lot of new people. However, as time went on, something just wasn’t right. A
blend of academic and social reasons soon led me to discover my own path, and in
Oliver’s words, “one day I finally knew” that I needed to make a change. 

It
was a cold, January evening after winter break when I called my parents about
my decision to transfer back home to UNC-Chapel Hill.

I
feared their disappointment, their confusion, their sadness, as if their
emotions blowing against me would be like Oliver’s “wind” with its “stiff
fingers.”

I
could hear the “voices” of my friends and peers back at home and at Emory
whispering and gossiping about me.

This
fear of judgment and misunderstanding surrounded and haunted me.

Yet,
just as in Oliver’s poem, I chose to leave their voices behind me, and as I did
I felt the “stars begin to burn” through the “sheets of clouded judgments. ” My
own future and dreams were becoming clearer.

I
could hear the chiming of the Bell Tower telling me it’s time for class

I
could soon see the Gillings School of Public Health and its bright Atrium with
the sun gleaming through the glass ceiling

I
could feel the adrenaline rushing through my veins as I pictured rushing Franklin
Street after beating Duke at basketball

A
smile illuminated my face just thinking about the world ahead of me.

It
was at this moment that I realized the importance of following your bliss and
doing what is best for you despite what other people say or may think.

After
all, we are all unique human beings living on this Earth each with our own
journey ahead of us.

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