One of the best things that you can have in life is a wise person by your side. A person who can help you through challenges and give you advice, even when you don’t know you need it. For me, that person has been Ms. Pat Egan.
For those of you who don’t know, Ms. Egan works at the Middle School front desk. She writes tardy passes, handles school supplies, and does everything in between, but there are other things that she is known for. Although Ms. Egan helps students plan absences, a lot of students go to her for her words of wisdom. She always has a special little phrase or saying that will make your day. So why am I writing about Ms. Egan? Well, she is my advisor, and this also happens to be her last year at Pingry, so I am here to share her wisdom for those of you who might not have the opportunity to meet one of the wisest people I know.
One part of Ms. Egan’s job is helping students fill out green sheets. Green sheets are pieces of paper that Middle Schoolers fill out whenever they have a planned absence. A lot of them are for sports players and people who have activities that they need to do. Whenever Ms. Egan helps them, she tells them two things. The first one is “do your best,” and the second one is “have fun”. Her reminders help all of us keep the most important things in mind while we are out doing pir stuff.
Another one of Ms. Egan’s famous lines is, “Don’t feed the fish,” and I know you are all probably wondering what that means, so let me explain. I think most of you reading this have gone through Middle School and are aware of how much drama there is. Every day, there seems to be something new. Whenever I come to her and tell her all the drama, she looks at me and says, “Caroline! Don’t feed the fish!” and I have no choice but to listen to her. Feeding the fish means feeding the drama. If you give the fish food, they will keep coming back, but if you don’t feed the fish, they will go get food elsewhere. This one is so important, I think that it is one of the wisest things ever. Just leave the drama alone, and it will go away. I promise, next time you have something going on, just don’t feed the fish, and everything will fix itself.
My favorite one of Ms. Egan’s sayings, though, is “What if it all works out?” The “what if it all works out” psychology is a cognitive reframing technique that counters anxiety. It makes you stop and wonder, “Why am I worried?” and “What’s the worst that could happen?” Whenever anyone is feeling nervous, Ms. Egan hits them with the “What if it all works out?” and then everything seems to be okay.
As I step into next year without Ms. Egan, I cannot help but admit I am kinda nervous. I will be getting new advisors and facing new challenges without her by my side. I guess I just have to ask myself, what if it all works out?
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To contact the author: Caroline LaPuma '31