THE BUBBLE VS. THE REAL WORLD

I was so happy to be away from S. FL. In my 18-year-old mind, I was on the top of the world - I was in the "real world" - where I could be myself and noone would judge me by any other standard.

The university that I attended had a commonly used name for its environment - "The Bubble." I heard about the name as soon as I started to become familiar with my surroundings. At first, it didn't seem applicable to me - I mean, what was a "bubble" about this place that wouldn't be the same anywhere else? But, as time progressed, I adapted to the bubble. I realized it was a safe environment, but maybe it wasn't "real life."

The bubble was comfortable and safe. A single patrol car was always somewhere nearby and there was always food to eat. It was common to see people out late at night talking, walking , playing, dating, or just goofing off. I loved the freedom this place granted.

And then there were classes, but that was actually the side factor. I was always waking up right before it was time to go to class - just listening to the professors, but never really taking notes. And homework was just something we seemed to laugh off. Yeah, we would get a little more serious around test time, but just enough to get the job done. And even then, it was all night study parties with movies, pizza and laughter - lots and lots of laughter.

The bubble was our real world.