I believe in catching the common cold, the runny nose that just will not stop until your nose becomes raw. The headache that makes your head feel like a thousand pounds and the scratchy throat that transforms your voice akin to a grown mans. As a high school student our mind set is go go go and do not quit until we get sick. We catch a cold but we also catch a break. Wednesday morning I awoke to the smallest almost unnoticeable sniffle but I brushed it off as nothing and headed to morning practice at six a.m. as usual. However, after surviving practice my immune system was attacked by the other runny nosed kids shuffling by in a hurry and the simple sniffle turned into a full-fledged snort.

Later on at work my only goal was to not sneeze on the guest’s silverware and to clock out as soon as possible. Instead of thinking about table numbers the only thoughts running through my mind were, “This cannot happen. Not today. The cold cannot win. I have too much homework and too many tests to study for.” The symptoms slowly appeared one by one, gradually taking me down, and overtaking my body. Thankfully though, my manager did manage to show sympathy and send me home early.

Determined to fend off the fiend I guzzled down half a bottle of Nyquil and made it to bed by 11. I felt confident in my ability to withstand the symptoms of this cold and stay strong, but my confidence was quickly broken the next morning when I was awoken by not my alarm clock, but the sun. I glanced over toward the clock and was greeted by a bright, red, beaming seven o’clock. The cold had won and the bittersweet call was made to school excusing my absence. My subconscious continued to think about school work, but my body would not allow it. It demanded a break and I appreciatively accepted it because I believe in catching the common cold.