The Leader
Opinion

From the desk of Scallion Editor, Matthew Baum

MATTHEW BAUM

Scallion Editor

Hello, all of my loving fans. 

It’s heartbreaking, I know. None of the articles were written by yours truly this week. All I’ve done to contribute to this edition is write this measly open letter. It’s almost too much to bear. Hardy-har-har.  

Okay, here’s the thing. This letter will be more serious in nature than what I normally write, and it’s not going to be the most exciting read, but it matters to me that these thoughts get down on paper.  

It’s important — no, vital — that we all take the time needed to balance out our lives. We’ve got a lot going on these days. By the sheer number and quality of the work we are asked to produce, we are doing things that would have been nearly ungraspable 70 years ago. We have all of the responsibilities of adults, all of the demeaning disrespect from elders of children and a fully-unsatisfying response to our pleas for a break. 

“Stress” by topgold is licensed with CC BY 2.0.

Recently, I hit something of a wall, both creatively and energetically. The hobbies I found dear were simply unappealing, I felt terrible about my body and I was not achieving the greatness that I felt was expected of me in any of my classes.

This is also why I didn’t have an article prepared for this magazine. I felt drained to the core, and there wasn’t a provoking idea in my head that got me moving how I wanted to be. 

And that’s okay. 

There is only so much a human body can handle, and there is only so much a human mind can be forced to do in a given amount of time. Be kind to yourself, because no progress will be made when you’re forcing yourself beyond your final limits. Self-destruction is not the means to a satisfying end. Letting yourself recuperate will pay off, and even if the journey back to feeling your best is not an exciting one, it is an important one, with measurable results. This is still a sentiment I have a hard time with, but I’m figuring it out.

In closing, I wish you all the best.

We are wading our way through a hectic time, and it can feel as though there’s not a soul around that feels the same way you do. Find comfort in that fact that your experiences are similar to innumerable peers that are around you every day. Let your mind and body take their time getting back up to capacity, and they will thank you for it. 

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