I am ‘The Whistler’

For what feels like an eternity now I have been finishing my college degree. My program is very specific and also very small. Although the building that I am in is very large, my program really only consistently occupies 5 or 6 rooms. All of my classes are at night and are about 3 hours long. Because of their length, we often get to take a break about halfway though. During these break times I couldn’t help but to wander around this massive building to kill time and to see what there was to see. Until one day, after finding what I was sure was a Dentist’s office, I stumbled onto a small room that was full of couches. It seemed like no one had ever been here before… Like it was a hidden room made for me to relax in.

So, every class period as soon as we were released for break, all of the students would immediately take a left to head to the bathrooms, vending machines or to go outside for their own personal time. I, however, had a different path. Instead I would head straight for my secret place so that I could take a moment to clear my head in peace. It is about a 5 minute walk and, having been sitting in a lecture for the last few hours, it is not uncommon for me to mindlessly start to whistle while I walk up a few flights of stairs and down the hallways. I always pass a few classrooms full of students who look like they just got off of work and wish that they were doing anything but listening to that professor at that moment. I never encounter anyone else in my spot, which is part of what made it so perfect. Don’t get me wrong, I am not such a solitary person that I don’t want the company of others. But there nothing like finding a place where one can always go to find peace.

A few weeks ago, on a night no different than any other, our break time came around and I found myself walking up the same flight of stairs and whistling the same song… one of my favorite songs: Greensleeves. I reached the floor that I needed and started down the hallway. Normally my walk is quite secluded, however, this time when I reached the hallway of classes I saw a girl studying in a chair with headphones over her ears. I continued on my path without giving it a lot of thought until I actually walked past her. I looked over to see her staring at me and slowly pulling her headphones off of her ears as if she had never seen a human before. This continued for a second until she said with half a smile, “Ah, so you’re The Whistler!” I slowed my pace and said, “Excuse me?” She had a very entertained look on her face and pointed to a large classroom full of students and said, “I have had this professor twice, and she always jokes that she knows when it is time to go to break because for the last year there has been a random student who walks the halls whistling the same tune.” I looked at the girl confused as she continued “All of us in the class have agreed that the song is lovely. What song is it?” Still trying to wrap my head around the idea that my whistling was so specific that a whole class has been a part of it, I told her that the name was Greensleeves. She smiled, more to herself than to me, and simply said “It’s beautiful” before putting her headphones back over her ears and ending our conversation. I continued my trek down the hallway, but this time I kept my lips sealed.

I thought about this interaction later that night and felt completely embarrassed at the fact that I had been a disruptive joke to this professor for the last year… But, I had to just laugh at myself… What can I say? I had been caught. I am now ‘The Whistler’!

Now, when I walk down the halls I still whistle the same song. However, I don’t just whistle it for me. Now I know that, at least to one classroom, my song is a beautiful tune that marks the point of the night where these students get to take a break and find their own secret place where they can achieve whatever it is that they might call peace.