On a weekly basis at The Suffolk Journal, one or more of our staff members sits on a computer — often late at night — and tries to convey a collective message from all of our staff members. 

Lately, we’ve been writing of very intense and hot button topics. The Journal believes that transparency, reasonable conversation between the staff and our readers is important in fostering a trusting, positive relationship between us and the community we report on. Every week, we do our best to reflect the opinions of the community in which we serve.

At The Journal, through our staff editorials, that collective message is often a jarring read when we’re consistently writing of difficult topics that are current subjects of discussion. 

But we think that this week, we can say something important about the season we’re in and how we can get past some obstacles that beleaguer nearly all of us in this very busy time, with no politics and no news involved.

It’s no secret that we face a lot of stress. We face stress as students, employees, student leaders, activists, sons, daughters, significant others and so much more. Through the jobs we work, the people we deal with, the assignments we have and the commitments we take on, it can be difficult to represent ourselves accurately on a daily basis. We are often nothing but our “busy selves,” or the people we have to be when the going gets tough. And when the going gets tough, it’s easy to lash out. 

We are more than just people with an opinion. We are more than just students and employees of this university, and in a world where we’re constantly at odds with each other in our beliefs, we often spend more time pointing fingers and being angry than remembering what’s really important in our lives: the people around us. 

Suffolk, put down your devices. Turn off the news and ignore your mentions section on Twitter. Ignore all the noise and petty disagreements you may have with your peers, because those disagreements shouldn’t always be the end of friendships. Take the time this season to reach out to an old friend or make amends with someone you’ve wronged.

Take a minute to take a breath. Take a breath from all the politicizing and look to someone next to you and say, “I know we may not always agree, but you’re a human being just like me.” Take a breath and recollect on what’s important in your life and what you’re doing to take care of those things, as we, collectively, embark on the journey of exactly that: life. 

It’s tough, too. With so much being thrown at us in our daily lives, it’s hard not to get angsty, fed up or look for things to hit — or in contrast, hold onto — in stressful times. 

Even though The Journal tries to reflect on our own and our community’s views through our editorials, it’s important to know that we, too, disagree on some issues. And we’re not perfect either. 

Let’s spend less time politicizing and let’s spend more time together. Because whether we like it or not, we’re all human. And we’re all in this life together, trying to leave the world a more inviting, more safe and more exciting place to live than we found it. 

So do it, Suffolk. As the old saying goes, stop and smell the roses. Because — as the other saying goes, too, to quote “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” — “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

~The Suffolk
Journal Staff