“Is this sadness… or just hunger?”
IS THIS SADNESS… OR JUST HUNGER?
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It’s 3 AM. The textbook’s a blur, coffee’s gone, and a profound sense of something—dread? Melancholy?—washes over you. Is it the weight of expectations, the looming exam, or that your entire adult life hinges on this moment? Or perhaps, you haven’t eaten since lunch, and that lukewarm dining hall pizza is a distant dream. The cafeteria, in its fluorescent glory, often staged these profound interrogations. Was that sudden despair after a tough lecture truly an existential crisis, or did you simply forget breakfast?
We’ve all been there, from undergraduates pulling all-nighters to alumni recalling those intense years with fondness and relief. The line between true emotional upheaval and a desperate need for calories often blurs where academic rigor meets ambitious dreams. Late-night instant ramen, hurried grab-and-go meals, accidental dinner skips during breakthroughs – these were the silent culprits behind many a self-diagnosed mental breakdown.
This shared experience, the comedic yet poignant confusion of mind and stomach, binds us. Remember staring blankly at dessert, wondering if a cookie would fix everything? Or deciding the only answer to a complex philosophical question was a midnight snack run? It’s not just food; it’s survival in a pressure cooker, finding comforts, and recognizing that sometimes, the deepest thoughts are best pondered on a full stomach. Next time you feel that indefinable angst, pause. Ask yourself: is this truly sorrow, or just the rumbling of your stomach?