You, Your Bed, and Your World

Name: Lauren Carney

Year: Class of 2011

Hometown: Westmont, NJ

Major(s): Writing Seminrs and/or English

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I am proud to say that I have just learned one of the many, many, MANY lessons I will learn as a student of Johns Hopkins University.  Lord only knows I will need to remember loads of historic dates, tons of influential philosophies, and too many essential laws of science in my next four years as an intended English/Writing Seminars major {consider that a warning – I’m wordy!}.  But this is a valuable life lesson that I know for certain I will not soon forget.

The lesson?  Bed sheets are very, very important.

They are, of course, important for the obvious reasons. The "Extra Long Twin" distinction that dorm beds possess is a glaring separation from our familiar beds at home, calling attention to how unique these sheets are. At the same time, they are just as vital because we use them for a very regular purpose: we sleep in them every night ... or every night we can. And as busy, hardworking Hopkins students, we rely on our night's rest (or morning's, or afternoon's, or twenty-minute-break-in-between-class's) to rejuvenate our minds for the next challenge ahead. Students are to sleep as the average living being is to chocolate, money, and John Travolta movies.  We crave it. We enjoy it while we've got it, even though we know often that there are more important things to be doing while enjoying it. And, let's face it, we're a whole lot happier after we've had it.

But even more than that, I've found that bed sheets are one of the biggest ways to make a statement about who you are. Sure, your attitude, character, opinions, and interests will eventually convey to your classmates the person that you have become but, especially in a dorm setting (where bedrooms are used as meeting places and entertaining spaces, in addition to libraries and dining rooms), nothing ensures such a direct display of your own self as the way you decide to dress your room. I hadn't given them much thought before shopping - I knew I wanted a pretty one, but a comforter is a comforter, right?  But as I stood in Bed, Bath and Beyond in front of a towering display of XL dorm beds in a bag, I was overwhelmed with the choices.

There were the simple solid color comforters, which looked to be a great choice.  But then I would be forced to choose a favorite color - which color was my favorite and, more importantly, which color was the one I wanted to tell the world was my favorite?  Favorite colors tell quite a bit about a person, and I didn't want to pick one that wasn't sincerely my "favorite."  So those were out.

Then there were beautiful satin sheets on sale.  A sale - yay, right?  Anything is a "yay" that will cut the costs of practically having to furnish a small apartment before September.  But then I thought, while they seemed sinfully luxurious and comfortable sitting all folded up in their thick plastic bag, would this seem like I was inviting people into my bed?  That's not quite the message I want to send out to campus as a freshman girl.  So I tore my eyes from the bag and searched the department for more.

Reluctantly walking away from that display, I quickly found a comforter in a pea green paisley print that, at first glance, I loved.  It had an attractive print, an uncommon color, and, to my surprise, was an Extra Long Twin size too.  I couldn't believe my luck.  But then I thought about it ... was pea green too 1960's-meets-old-lady-who-lives-with-her-cats?  I liked the 1960's part, but I couldn't help but thinking that the old lady bit might dampen my spirits a little.  In hindsight, that was probably irrational.  But in the moment, looking longingly at the picture on the bag, I couldn't help but feeling that seeing that color every day, already tired and stressed out, would be just as depressing.  And so I moved on.

My last attempt at walking out of BB&B with something accomplished, I'm sorry to say, was fruitless as well.  I sat on one of their display beds, exasperated with my mom (who, ironically, was quite exasperated with me.  Can't imagine why?)for trying to hurry me along.  And I saw a bag tucked away in a corner with the image of a bedspread overrun with a brown animal print, checked with bits of a pretty light pink.  There were even little pink bows on the sides.  I thought it was adorable, but then my senses got the better of me: animal prints really should be used sparingly, or should be saved for special occasions.  So I decided that, perhaps, I'd save the leopard for my pillowcases and led a grateful mother out of the store.

Back at home, I was beyond disappointed.  I flipped through a catalogue, shocked at how difficult it was for me - me, who has a solid opinion on what she likes and who knows clearly the person she is - to just find a comforter that would set the theme to my dorm room.  It shouldn't be this hard.  And then, in the catalogue, something hit me.  It was a photograph of a fluffy comforter sporting a light pink and light yellow argyle print, checked with white with skinny turquoise stripes running the length of it.  This was everything I was looking for.  It had a variety of colors, each of which I loved to look at.  It would be easy on the eyes.  It used one of my favorite prints in a girly, playful way.  It was stylish, it was fun.  And, now, it is mine.

This entry probably makes me seem neurotic, vain, and quite out of my mind.  I do revel in anything that has to do with fashion or interior design and usually take great pride in the fact that my possessions reflect who I am, but the point is that I’ve never taken such care to make sure people know the “real me” before now.  As a freshman walking into such a new experience and anticipating the meeting of equally new people, I realize just how much I’ve taken for granted the fact that I’ve been in the same classes with, for the most part, the same people since I started Kindergarten so many years ago.  I’ve never had to prove that I was a certain way: they just knew.  And now, I’ll have to start over again. Everyone won’t automatically know that I listen to every kind of music under the sun, or that I value everything vintage, or that I hope to write a book one day.  They won’t know that I live for my family, or that I’m totally goofy (and even more so when I’m tired), or that I always wear impractical shoes.  They’ll have to be told. 

I just want to make sure I tell them right.

Comments

[Julia]

Lauren, i LOVE this entry! I definitely relate to seeing the things you own (even bedsheets) not just as things but an an extension of your personality. You're definitely not out of your mind for that (or maybe we both are...) Good luck with your move in and the new bedding!

[Mark Butt (Admissions)]

Welcome to Hopkins!

[Admissions_Daniel]

Lauren, reading your entry had me flashbacking to the days searching for XL sheets with my Mom before heading off to college. My process was a bit easier ... I didn't really care, I just wanted fleece. Hey I am a simple guy!

Enjoy setting up your bed this weekend during move-in.