It’s slowly becoming that point in the semester where all of the days mush together. Everyone on campus is a collective hot mess as they run around in their flawless Stevens sweatpants, trying to get everything done. As a person who has a never ending to do list, it’s hard to cross off all of my tasks on a daily basis. Some tasks get pushed around while others get eternally waitlisted (now seeking applicants to do my laundry by the way). There’s one particular task that I keep unintentionally putting off that will probably get me killed in the near future: calling home. As much as I enjoy the “Hey, Dad asked me to stalk your Facebook to see what you’re up to” texts from my brothers or the casual “I remember when I had a daughter” one-liners from my mom, they really don’t motivate me to call home. I consider myself extremely close with my family so it’s not like there is pent-up angst that prevents me to so. What really motivates me to call home, however, is incentive.
For a while, I would call home Chicken Little style – when the sky was falling and needed some assurance. I didn’t do too hot on an exam. I was sick and completely forgot what medicine to take. I put a red sock in my whites and now all my clothes are slightly pink (SERIOUSLY I’m taking applicants to do my laundry). All these issues and more were resolved, or at least mitigated, with a quick call to home. As I’ve grown up and taken more responsibility of myself, I honestly don’t have much to talk about if I were to check in. In addition to that, the answers to my parents questions are rather one worded, not because I don’t want to speak to them but I don’t think they would want to hear the nuances and technical struggles of my Separation Operations class. I barely knew what it was about myself.
Nonetheless, in more recent phone calls I’ve learned it’s still important to check in. Maybe I don’t have a problem that my mom needs to solve for me or something to talk about with my dad (because the Mets are out of the playoffs). Maybe my main reason for calling is for my family to be assured that I’m not dead in a ditch somewhere. Maybe it doesn’t matter why I’m calling, it matters that I am. Calling home keeps you attached to your loved ones. Even if they’re not your favorite people they are certainly the most supportive. Most importantly, calling home allows you to take a step out of the “Stevens bubble” which can honestly suffocate us all. It’s important to check in and to be reminded that there is life outside 2000 credits and wearing a Stevens hoodie for the third straight day. It never hurts to be reminded that there are people outside your immediate friend group who care and are proud of your successes, even if you might not be. Calling home can be defined differently for each person. Some people do not have the best relationship with their family and prefer calling a friend. Others call grandparents or cousins for that touch of home that they needed. The moral of the story is that Stevens students really need to call “outsiders” every now and then. It might not be the most desirable task with much incentive, but it is definitely the most needed especially in this stressful point of the semester.
So after various forms of passive aggressive text messages, I finally caved and called home. The quick and painless 5 minutes of my life filled me in about the whereabouts of family members, supported me about some upcoming and daunting task, and reminded me that exams and nonsensical drama will be over soon enough. Above all, it allowed be to cross off a task from my to-do list, arguably the most rewarding incentive of it all. Don’t forget to call home. Your mom, and you, will thank me later.
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