For the longest time now, I have seen my dearest friend slowly fade away.

As a child, he and I would wander the woods behind my house, peeking under every rock and climbing every hill.

In grade school, he and I would dig through countless books and run together through the playground.

We were nearly inseparable. Not a single soul could break the bond we had forged for so long.

That is, no soul but my own.

You see, my dearest friend, so many years ago, was curiosity.

Oh, how I enjoyed the endless joy he and I would have together, spending countless days doing nothing more than daydreaming and exploring our surroundings together.

I learned so many things about myself with him, and I learned so much about the world.

Curiosity was the force that challenged me to do things I had never done, to speak with people I had never spoken to, to think as I had never thought.

Curiosity opened my eyes.

However, my relationship with curiosity slowly weakened over time.

As I entered college and began to commit myself to working more, the demands of life began to strain the bonds curiosity and I had forged so long ago.

No longer did I have time to step out of the house and wander aimlessly through the trees in the woods or the pages of a book. No longer did I have the desire to accept the challenges of new experiences and new people.

I became comfortable with the routine, the monotonous, and the safe.

However, even though my relationship with curiosity has faded, I still greatly crave the time I had with him and want to revive our passion.

I want to feel the rush of adrenaline as I leap from one experience to the next, barely looking ahead to see where my feet will land.

I want to feel the pulse of the unknown race through my mind as I contort my thoughts around strange, new concepts.

I want to experience the spontaneity and wonder that only curiosity’s challenges can provoke within me.

How I will revive the passion between curiosity and me is still uncertain, but I will find a way. The strains of adulthood cannot restrain indefinitely the joy I have known.

Even if I am not successful in my attempts, one thing is for certain: No matter what the future holds for me, no matter the hardships I will endure, curiosity will be there. Deep within my heart and mind, I will always have a place for my dearest friend.

Tim Deters is a senior journalism major. He can be reached at 581-2812 or denopinions@gmail.com.