This I Believe
This I Believe
Home Sweet
Home
By Jai Sung Lee
“ Jai … Jai … JAI!” I snapped out of my daydreaming daze.
“ Hey Jai, come here for a second” The Director of Residential Life and Housing beckoned me over. I slowly and grudgingly walked over to him, trying to think of reasons to justify my behavior.
“ I’ m in so much trouble …” was all that I could think of as I trudged towards him. I had been staring off into space, my mind still groggy from my daydreaming. I was at a weekly Resident Advisor meeting led by the Director of Residential Life and Housing, and during the brainstorming session, I had been napping blissfully, only to be startled awake by the director summoning me.
As I approached him, he asked,“ In your opinion, what is an ideal community?”
This was unexpected. I racked my brain to come up with an acceptable answer.“ This must be a trick question. He is trying to see if I had been paying attention …” I thought to myself.
Then after 30 seconds of silence, I blurted out“ Home!”
The director smiled.“ Not bad Jai” I wryly thought to myself.
“ What is home to you?” He asked once more. This question was met with another moment of silence. But this time, I was stumped: what exactly was home to me? As I mulled over the definition of home, I began to recall my time in Mountainview. This really opened my eyes to how fortunate I was to spend 7 years at Mountainview. I know that I have had my fair share of complaints about MICS, but in hindsight, I don’ t think I was being fair. When your frame of reference is MICS, most places will easily pale in comparison. During my 7 years at MICS, I moaned and groaned about how MICS was a“ bubble” which was a closed off section that didn’ t’ reflect the outside world, how rumors spread so quickly, and even about how gym floors left flowery marks every time I fell on them. I talked about how eager I was to leave MICS and go on to the real world, but I never took the time to appreciate the amazing people that I was surrounded by.
Maybe the grass is always greener on the other side, but I know this: MICS was home. When I went to college in the US, I not only lost familiar surroundings, friends, teachers, family, I lost my home. By home, I don’ t mean the physical location, but my relationships with friends, teachers, classmates and many more. I am so thankful to all of those who made Mountainview my home. Lydia Child defines home as“ that blessed word, which opens to the human heart the most perfect glimpse of Heaven, and helps it carry it thither, as on angel’ s wings.” I thank those of you who have given me a glimpse of heaven.
To those who were in the same boat as I was, itching to get out of the so called“ bubble”, I say sit back and relish your time in MICS. Never again will you find a place so welcoming and open. As people you know leave MICS, they will take with them a piece of home, unraveling this manifestation of home. This temporary and fleeting nature of“ home“ makes it all the more beautiful. To think that during a set time frame, you are able to enjoy the unique combination of personalities and characters that abound in MICS, you are so blessed. Take a moment to enjoy each other’ s company, as they will constitute your memoires, your home; your home sweet home.
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