Dear reader,
This weekend, I traveled to Vienna, which had me pondering the wisdom imparted by the great Billy Joel in his song of the same name. This song is one of my all-time favorites and was introduced to me by my parents, who would play it for me as an infant in a futile effort to get me to fall asleep. The meaning behind the song, though, has become increasingly clear to me as I have grown up.
Plus, perhaps I am feeling slightly introspective after visiting Billy’s city of inspiration. It seems I may even feel as though Billy and I are now on a first-name basis. Let’s unpack some of his classic lyrics together, shall we?
“Where’s the fire, what’s the hurry about?”
One of the first things I noticed in Vienna was the slower pace of life. The streets were generally quiet, and people walked slowly, taking in the sights. When I visited St. Stephen’s Cathedral, almost every single person took the time to light a candle in the church. In comparison to college life, this European lifestyle can feel like it’s moving at a snail’s pace, but maybe that’s not such a bad thing.
At Villanova, we tend to overbook ourselves to the very last minute. We calculate exactly how many club meetings, social activities and hours in the library we can squeeze into one day. People zoom by, walking with their heads down as if they are late to coffee with the Pope. But seriously, what is the hurry about? An admitted critic of slow walkers on campus, I’m starting to think it might be nice if we all strolled a little more often.
“You’re so ahead of yourself, that you forgot what you need.”
Like many Villanovans, I write everything in my planner and evaluate the success of my day based on how many things I check off. As college has progressed, I realized that this approach, while sometimes efficient, is far from a life-changing secret to success.
In fact, it can be quite the opposite. If you’re always one step ahead, you’re going to miss all the worthwhile parts of the day. You will miss everything that isn’t on your list.
Even for my trip to Vienna, we curated a list of things we wanted to see (based on TikTok recommendations, obviously). All the sights were wonderful, but sometimes the unexpected detours are part of what makes a trip memorable, too.
At some point, you need to take a break from checking things off and make sure you enjoy yourself.
You need to wander long enough to find a whimsical pizza restaurant in Vienna housed inside a tent, and you need to share the mic with strangers during karaoke at an Austrian study abroad bar. You need a lemon muffin from Holy Grounds, a walk around the South Campus neighborhoods and a debrief with your roommate at the end of a long day. Little things make a difference.
“Take the phone off the hook and disappear for a while.”
This one is way easier said than done. As delightful as it sounds to just go completely off the grid, it is nearly impossible in this day and age. I must admit I was in a constant state of photo-taking.
I think perhaps a more achievable way to interpret Billy’s advice here is to say that each of us is capable of striking out and discovering the world on our own, away from the familiar. This is a feeling many of us relate to, having ventured to Villanova in the first place.
“Take the phone off the hook” is a strong choice of words considering the quantity of calls my mom received from me during freshman year (and still receives now). But the lesson stands: we need to go out and experience the unknown for ourselves to learn.
