Auf Wiedersehen
So here we come to it folks, the end of a stellar year. It’s with some sadness that I write this, my final “tirade” for 2011 and indeed the last of my presidency. Elections have run their course and come January 1st I’ll be handing over the keys, cape and control. To the incoming Prez of 2012 (and beyond?) Mr. Shannon Pennefather, Congratulations, you faced some pretty solid competition and I can only wish you the best of luck (and hard work) next year.
Now, I know I’m never good with good-byes, (who is?) and this is a big one for a lot of people as you round up your studies and get a job out in the “real world”. Hell, even if you’re still studying next year, what a world it is…
It’s a world where when you may order a caramel latte, but they’ll bring you a lukewarm chai..
Your busses will be 5 minutes away, 2 minutes away, 1 minute away, 3 minutes away, and then a little orange message will come up on the LED sign saying “bus delayed”… it’s not cool.
Kids in fast cars will drive past you at high speed through a puddle, making you wet and annoyed.
Your 2 minute noodles, after you have to take them out of the packet, boil the water, fiddle around with the sachet, then get another sachet because you burst the first one all over the floor, will actually take you more like 10 minutes to cook, at which point you will find them too hot to eat – but don’t worry, strain them with a sieve and some cold water to aid the cooling process.
Always remember, no matter how tricky life gets, there’s always a way to strain your troubles through a big metaphorical sieve with some cold water and find some perspective.
You may put $1.60 into a vending machine, selecting snickers and you’ll be given a bounty bar.. Fuck that, right? But chill out for a second, bro. Breathe… When life hands you a bounty, don’t fret about what you wanted, go ahead and enjoy the coconut goodness in what you’ve got.
There will always be times when you don’t end up where you intended. When I was younger I wanted to be a Pokemon master – and look at me now, I don’t even have a single Pokemon. Not even a Caterpie or something. But I’m still smiling… it’s all part of that delicious coconut mistake.
What I’m getting at, and my advice to all of you is simple: Welcome change with open arms and jump at every chance to be involved in something exciting, always ask yourself the question “what have I got to lose?” Never get caught up on the snickers that got away.
As you move on to bigger and better challenges, whether it’s out in that “real world”, or right here at Unitec, keep in mind that the crisis of today becomes the joke of tomorrow. So stay chill, and keep smiling.
See you all around and take care of yourselves!
-Pete
The Fail boat is docking for maintenance as we reflect on the year gone by, and today there are only Mad Props:
To the Executive of 2011: thankyou for being an awesome group to work with, it’s been a learning curve for all of us – consider yourselves bent ;-)
To the Executive of 2012: Congratulations! Let me be the first to officially wish you all the best for next year!
And lastly, to everyone at Unitec, student or staff member (USU included): Thanks for the job over the past couple of years ;-) and thanks for making this place tick. I’ll miss you all.