Nameless Faces

I have this photo program on my laptop called Picasa. There is this feature on it that groups the faces together, so you can give them a name and have access to all pictures of that person in one folder. I haven’t given anyone names on my new laptop, so when I open up the program I have groups of “Unknown” people and a large group of the Unnamed. They are just nameless faces on my laptop.

But who are these “Unknown” people, the nameless faces, in my life.

They are the short girl walking in front of me, with a backbone keychain and a black backpack bigger than she is

The girl wearing scrubs talking to a man with a bike

The boy standing by the bench

The girl with perfectly winged eye liner

The boy wearing a Beatles shirt with a black side bag

The girl rocking a worn out pair of black converse

The boy who looked fresh to death in a plain white tee and a dazzling smile

The boy repping the Charlotte Hornets

The girl driving an old red Ford

The girl with bright red lipstick carrying an art portfolio case

The lady officer driving the smart car

The girl with a cute smile and her brown hair pulled back into a loose ponytail

And then there was Kailey. There was my best friend and roommate just there sitting on her bed working on a final. There was a connection, and with that connection there was a name. There were known hopes and desires, fears and doubts. There was laughing until way past midnight, and dance parties. There were memories I had with her and knowledge that I had learned from her.

Just walking around every day, I seem to be wandering through a crowd of nameless faces. To me, these people don’t even have a name, let alone a story. But that’s just because I haven’t had that connection with them. They are just the faces of people, people that I know have hopes, dreams, desires, fears, doubts, insecurities, talents, personalities, and just a complex life like mine, but I don’t know them. I don’t know their stories.

Leaving college this semester is tearing me up inside. There are many people that I don’t want to leave. Because when I’m sitting in Relief Society, econ class, Sunday School, or my apartment, there aren’t nameless faces anymore, there are people and connections.

There is Kate who rocks a red ribbon in her hair on a daily basis and loves to read. There is Colin who will run miles with me and who loves green smoothies more than anything else. There is Megan who is going on a mission. There is Clark who is graduating this semester and trying to figure out his life plans. There is Loriann who I can talk about anything with, from cute boys to heart breaks and milking cows. There is Jenny who has the sweetest spirit and instantly brightens my day. There is Britton who loves Avatar: The Last Airbender and is incredibly blunt. And there’s Ryan who can catch just about any Frisbee that Taylor or Steven throws to him.

And then there is me, just trying to connect with and love them all. There’s me feeling purpose and meaning through these interactions. There’s me not wanting to sever connections, not wanting to say goodbye. Because I’m no longer wandering through a sea of nameless faces, but one filled with smiles, memories, connections, and friends.

And that’s why I don’t want to leave.