It was the last day of college—the day before graduation. Early in the day, I had a laugh with Steven as we recounted all the pranks we had planned to do but never got around to doing. Several of my friends had already moved out and gone back home, or wherever they were going. My roommate, Josh, and I had been packing up all day and staking claim on the various objects and memorabilia we had shared during our four years at school. Slowly, my dorm room started to empty. It was right about the time I was packing up the last of my stuff in my car (my computer, as usual) that I started to get…hesitant. Well, maybe hesitant’s not the best word, but you know… a feeling that I needed to take in exactly what was going on here. I thought, “Whoa, wait a minute! This is it. This is it!” I realized that my life was starting over. This wasn’t just a new phase or a grand adventure or anything else that the college brochures tell you. I was about to go out in the world and start with a completely clean slate. I was going where no one knew me, no one cared about me, and all I had was myself… I got back to my room and all that was left was a ratty desk chair Josh and I had stumbled upon our freshman year that we decided to leave behind. Corey, my best friend, called me as he was leaving campus to wish me a happy summer. Steven had already left around noon, and James had gone home as soon as his last exam was over. Josh poked his head in the room just long enough for a quick goodbye. Thomas, Nick, Micah—all gone in a nonchalant fashion that failed to herald the approaching reality. Fighting a suddenly rising panic, I almost let out a scream, “Stop! Don’t leave!” But I knew instinctively that it was too late… You know, it’s a funny sensation to suddenly feel like you’re the only person alive… Of course, things aren’t the same between me and any of those people from college… How could it be…? But sometimes, sometimes I think what it would have been like if we would have all just taken a moment to see what was really going on around us—just one brief moment to see the countless invisible forces slowly molding our lives with little concern about our plans… Would that have made any difference?