Finally, the moment I wait for everyday: they’re asleep. Who is “they,” you ask? “They” is my amnesiac holder, who frequently forgets me and uses other people’s BruinCards to enter dormitories. You can’t even begin to comprehend that feeling of self-doubt when they use other BruinCards. Have I not done enough? Am I that easy to forget? Well, loyalty is just a vestige of virtue nowadays I suppose.
But jokes aside, my owner is sweet and I like them. I also know that this feeling is reciprocated, I mean I am their identity for four years (or maybe more, if they fall into the Inverted Fountain). It might sound ostentatious, but as soon as they step out of their room, I am definitely the first thing that they make sure they aren’t missing. Haters could say they check for their phone first, but whatever. Also, speaking of the phone, I am positive that someday I’ll melt onto the back cover because of the heated battery. Scientists have been studying the sun all this while, but the area just underneath a phone case is, inarguably, the hottest place in the universe.
In fact, this issue is just the tip of the iceberg. Some time back, I was in a dark place. I encountered light occasionally, but it was evanescent. After a while, I was hit by an epiphany — people were stepping on me. Yes, I was lost. My lovely owner had dropped me … again. The situation was exacerbated by the students who were just turning a blind eye towards me. I was being pushed around, my feelings were being disregarded and I was so hurt. I was screaming my guts out with everything, but it was just not enough. No one paid me any heed: not one double take. What could I do but wait? Needless to say, it was quite a traumatic experience. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, someone was kind enough to pick me up and deposit me at the Ackerman lost-and-found. That blissful moment was short-lived, because after a while my owner came to pick me up. But in all seriousness, I was extremely happy to go back to the place where I belong and was overwhelmed at how delighted my owner was to see me. It was like a long-lost friend moment (and it was definitely me that they missed, and not the food that I would be able to get for them).
As with all things, being a BruinCard is not without its challenges. Having swipes and money on me makes me feel quite proud. However, there are times when BruinCards are rejected because they don’t have enough credit. Within the BruinCard community, this is considered quite embarrassing. Thankfully, this has never happened to me and I hope it never does. In short, what I am trying to say is that humans are not the only species with ego problems. Us cards have egos that are just as bad, no matter how much we try to hide it. This unfortunate tragedy of rejection causes nightmares, so please do pay attention to this.
Honestly, it’s tough being a BruinCard.
Illustration by Kimberly Fernandez Suratos/BruinLife.
