When Facebook first introduced its On This Day feature, I cringed a little. Do I really want to see what the high school version of me posts? Do I want to see the pictures containing my highlighted hair, awkward smiles, and questionable fashion sense? Can I resist feeling the waves of embarrassment when I realize that younger Wei thought adding a space before his punctuation marks was cool?
Even with all these regrettable posts, I decided to go on ahead and look back in time. And goodness, it was really bad. However, at the same time, I also got to see posts from my first three years at Notre Dame. I definitely sensed improvements, and rather than cringe, I felt nostalgic.
As I began to check On This Day more frequently, I began to see pictures of old friends at social gatherings. I saw pictures of my friends and I finishing the Holy Half. I found pictures of my choir friends when we were touring France.
Eventually, I gave Facebook permission to remind me to check On This Day daily. It became part of my morning routine. It allows me to look back at my old self, the things I used to do and the people I used to hang out with. Sometimes, I’m disappointed that I no longer interact with these people as often, but at the same time, I realize that it’s normal. Life is in a constant state of flux, and hanging out with different social groups is just part of it.
But that is not to deny the impact these people have made in my life and college career. Whether I consciously am aware or not, every single person I’ve interacted with has shaped me in some way. Some have become my closest friends, some have taught me to be a better student, some have inspired me to pursue a hobby, some have furthered my faith, and some have made me question my beliefs. I couldn’t imagine what Notre Dame would be like without the people I’ve met during my time here.
Like every graduating senior, the saddest thing about Notre Dame is how the school brings together so many brilliant and extraordinary people. We make all of these wonderful friends, but after four years, we are dispersed throughout nation, as well as the world, to make a difference and pursue our lofty goals. We will get there, we will do many wonderful things in our lives, but we will never be able to turn back time and relive our four years here. However, we can revisit these moments by looking through old Facebook posts, sharing stories of our experiences with the new friends we meet and, best of all, keep in contact with those who have shaped our lives.
To those people whom I’ve met along this four-year journey, thank you for creating memories with me. I will continue to browse On This Day and relive each moment over and over again. These past four years have been the greatest in my life so far. I can’t wait to celebrate all of our achievements this Sunday. We’ve fought long and hard, and all great things must come to an end. But at least it won’t be forgotten. In a year, we’ll look back “on this day.”
Love thee, Notre Dame.
Wei Lin is graduating with a bachelor's degree in business administration having majored in accountancy, economics and Chinese. He will continue to geek out when he starts his new job as a forensic consultant at PwC. Wei will be studying for the CPA exams this summer, but he welcomes anyone to contact him through his email at wei.lin.nd@gmail.com or visit him in New York City, even though he not-so-secretly lives in New Jersey.
