Walking around Keuka, you will see all types of people. Some are hanging out with each other in the light and some stand more in the shadows. One of the groups on this campus that seem to make a presence are the occupational therapy majors. From this article, I would like to try to explain us a little more, especially to those who just see us as a walking cult. I know that more often than not, people have their own conceptions of what we are like and the things that we do, and I would like to show at least a glimpse of who we really are.
To some we may be seen as these annoying people who walk around spewing off about how much work we have to do or how we did on a test. But I would like to say that we are much more than that. For the majority of us, we are in this major to help people and make a difference. Occupational therapy (OT) allows us to holistically help the people in our communities. We can help infants, children, adults, and anyone that just needs help getting back to their daily lives. We look at individuals for what they have done, what they currently do, and what they want to do. As we go through our schooling to learn all of this, our personalities morph into this constant analysis of the world around us. As we walk around each day, we don’t just see an elderly woman walking through the grocery store, but rather we are looking at how high her walker is set, what her disposition is, how she is walking, and what is affecting her emotionally. We over analyze all aspects of the world and are constantly trying to help out where we can. Sometimes, due to this intense scrutiny, we tend to stick together. We walk from place to place together, we eat together, and we become a family. It wasn’t always like that, but now we truly are a family that is there for each other no matter what. We become lions in this “OT pack,” where we are constantly protecting and looking out for one another.
From all of this, I have learned just how much my fellow OT majors are the ones that I look to help me in times of anxiety and panic. They are there when I’m balling my eyes out because I’m thinking too much, they are with me when I brush things off and I say I’m fine. They truly know me. Then there are the professors. The professors are the amazing ones that are there to support me and help me see the future when times get rough. They can see through my nonsense, they can talk me down when I have built up all of these unrealistic expectations around me. And then we have our right-hand woman that keeps us all together, whom for these purposes I will call our OT master. This master may not be certified to practice occupational therapy; however, she is certified in keeping us all sane. She is our secretary of the department and an individual that would do anything for those around her. Without her, we would be more than lost and without her, I personally would have a piece of myself missing.
I do not know where I would be without these people in my life. They have made a much greater impact than they realize. In the grand scheme of things, I know I wouldn’t be here, living this life, I can tell you that for sure. I would have dropped out, let my emotions get the best of me, and would have probably ended up being an isolated and severely depressed individual. OT has completely changed my life in the best of ways. It has given me support, love, and the ability to reach others in a way that most other professions don’t. Now to some, this may be seen as a dramatic portrayal of something that everyone goes through, and maybe some aspects of that are true; however, for much of my college career, this was my reality. This new reality that’s filled with support, happiness, and honesty is one that I am extremely grateful for. Without occupational therapy, I would be lost without direction. It has provided me with a world of opportunities and has given me a reason to be thankful every day that I wake up. So, the next time you see our cult walking around, say hi, we are a lot friendlier than we appear to be. Sometimes we let the stress get the best of us but the truth of it all is, is that we are just here trying to help everyone and make a genuine difference in the world that surrounds us.
