Opinion
Walk in like you own the place, walk out like you've never seen it before
April 29, 2015
In the spring of 2004, my family took a trip to Orlando, Florida, with my cousins. Recently, I was reminded of this trip and more specifically, something I said during that trip.
In 2004, I was a third grader who picked up words and phrases and repeated them, trying to sound smart or cool and often times not knowing what they even meant.
My favorite phrase at the time was something I probably picked up from my dad. My dad is filled with catchy phrases such as “how foolish to make one’s last stand in a coffin” and “never trust a man with two first names,” which are taken from classic 1960s television shows and could not be more ridiculous. My phrase was: “walk in like you own the place, walk out like you’ve never seen it before.”
Throughout our trip to Florida, I would say this to my cousins every time we went someplace new and it soon became the catchphrase of the trip. After recently being reminded about my famous quote by a cousin, I started to think about this phrase and what it actually meant. I came to the surprising conclusion that this phrase actually holds a lot of meaning and is a good piece of advice for anyone in any situation.
So what does it mean? Well the Matt Clark dictionary of phrases has determined the meaning is to take charge of a situation and make it better, but then don’t go chasing after the credit and glory because it will soon follow. In other words, don’t just let difficult situations pass you by, take the reins and do something about it. After you’ve made a difference don’t be a jerk and try to reel in the glory. It will most certainly backfire.
So as we head into the very last days of this semester, I’ve asked myself how this piece of advice might be relevant to us students who are struggling with the fear of finals. When we begin to study for our finals and put the finishing touches on our final projects, we should not fret--we’ve got this. Don’t just walk into your classrooms for the final; walk in like you own the place. And when you’ve finished, walk out knowing that you’ve done what you came to do. This simple change in mindset just might give you the confidence to get the grade you’ve been reaching for.
Finals time is never easy but when is life ever easy? Throughout our lives we will be faced with many challenges, but maybe some of those challenges can be eased if we just remember to walk into life like we own the place, and walk out like we’ve never seen it before.
Matthew Clark is a junior journalism student. Besides being the music director at WRFW and the circulation manager at the Student Voice, Clark has become an accomplished musician, performing with the likes of Chicago and Daughtry. He has also contributed to a few movie soundtracks.