Hey lovers,

This week the OC is hosting a “Second Chance Dance” so that in the wake of Valentine’s Day we can all get a second chance at finding friendship or love. I’m feeling sentimental, so I’m going to talk about second chances this week. (So what if the extent of Titus weekend festivities left me in a state of controlled wreckage and these past few days of recovery have left me feeling as vulnerable as a newborn lamb in February?) But anyway, second chances. They may be living in America, “the land of second (third, fourth, and fifth) chances”; those leftovers in your fridge that you are stoked about when you discover they haven’t gone bad; this Tuesday’s spontaneous sleet shower that turned to a dusting of snow; coming back after mid-semester break and thinking Okay, now I will really do all the readings for class; or for the lovers in us all, putting yourself out there for the prospect of a new or rekindled love.

As I pondered what the true meaning of second chances would entail, I asked a few people what they thought about the topic. Fellow housemate Leo got theoretical on me, saying they were to make up for something that was lost, that had not been taken full advantage of, something that you had yet to quite reach your full potential in or the waters you saw but had yet to delve into. Liam kept it short and sweet: a chance to try again. Isa thought about love and how second chances can mean rekindling old flames, throwing a spark into a dry pile of leaves or the act of stepping into the sunshine and saying, “Hello world, here I come!” Finally, Maria saw second chances as the times when you succeeded at something and you try it again just to make sure that the first time wasn’t a coincidence.

I think part of what makes second chances so appealing is that they encompass the idea of starting fresh, and regardless of what has happened in the past, you are wiping the slate clean. Second chances can also be loopholes in our interactions with others – when you pref-ace a conversation implying your subsequent cash in on a second chance, the other person is likely to be more receptive and willing to give you the benefit of the doubt, or at least a “why the hell not” reaction. We all should have the privilege to enact second chances, because more often than not we mess up the first time. Whatever you think of when you think of a second chance is great, so go out there are take advantage of your own capabilities and don’t be afraid to advocate for yourself by asking others for a second chance. Let yourself go to that place and think about all the second chances you have right in front of you and how liberating that feels! For this weekend I plan to give the great country of Canada a second chance while leading an adventure to a peninsula (aka scoping out the real estate market and also that is-land Canada offered up for Americans to move to should Trump ever become elected).

P.S. Here is the last plug for any freshman, sophomores, or juniors who are interested in applying to live in the Outing Club: applications are due FRIDAY, MARCH 4 (so like right now). Come to 58 Park St. and drop off your app, sign up for an interview time and then come inside and have a cup of tea with one of us – we would love to meet you!