For the 3rd and final part of my “going on a journey” theme (read the first post here, and the second here), I have dedicated the following to OU’s Oklahoma Memorial Union. To briefly summarize, in 2009 I started my college career at OBU, but for various reasons in 2011 I left “for a semester.” I wound up working at a rather large technology company and starting a new journey for a few years, but during that time I had lost sight of my goal of getting my degree. Fast forward now to 2014: I was on OU’s campus for the second time in my life and was sporting an OU shirt, despite having been an avid OSU fan for several years. Hate me all you want, I was only doing it for my sister. Despite her obvious Sooner flaw, I wanted to support her during her college graduation. It was honestly bittersweet for me though. While I was obviously ecstatic for my sister, the whole ordeal also served as a reminder to me that I had not achieved something that I wanted. I had watched my peers graduate from OBU, followed by those a year under me, followed by those a year under them (who were also my freshman Residents when I was a Resident Advisor at OBU), but there I was years later: empty handed. My family knew that I was experiencing this, despite my trying to downplay it.
So, prior to my sister’s graduation ceremony, she was showing around campus and giving us an idea what her life at OU had been like. Eventually, we had been at the Spoon Holder for a short time when my mom needed to use a restroom, so my sister walked her into the Oklahoma Memorial Union. Upon their return, my mom (who was containing some moderate excitement) exclaimed, “Jon! There’s [a rather large technology company] in there!” Not exactly sure how to respond, I just said, “there can’t be.” She assured me that there was and she wanted to show me. As we arrived at the IT Store, she humbly lead with, “what if you transferred here? What if this is how you can finish what you started?”
Of course the IT Store is not [a rather large technology company], and I could not transfer to it. However, what this did for me was open a door. It gave me a reason to ask, “What if?” And eventually “what if” turned into what is.
To me, the Oklahoma Memorial Union is a symbol of hope. Its beautiful brick structure now serves as a reminder to me of the building blocks of my life that have led me to where I am. Just as the structures of this building all point up in one direction, it gives me a feeling that I am also moving that same way.
Jonathan Ruiz
