Just Breathe 

By: Jena Dewald 

"Just Breathe': I whispered to myself as I stared at the board composed of lights which seemed as if 
they could light up the New York City sky. It was my first day on the job, and I attempted to soak in infor­
mation as ifI was a sponge, and it was pouring in at 100 miles per hour. The man behind the microphone 
explained what each and every button does when pushed, that is if I even had the acknowledgement and 
courage to do it. I stared endlessly, my handwriting horrible on the pad, as if it were written by a five year 
old on her first day of kindergarten. Butterflies? What are those? This felt more like vampire bats with razor 
sharp teeth flying around in my stomach as if they were trying to tell me to run the hell away. But I did not, 
could not make a step. I was too infatuated in the moment, and had entirely way too much time invested in 
this to turn back now. And then he left. As the door closed behind him, it was almost like I forgot to breathe, 
and perhaps I did. 

The studio was now mine, my time. That is until three o'clock. I organized my notes, my hands shak­
ing almost as if there was a 7.0 earth quake occurring, but knowing that it was just me. 

9:59 A.M. and only 43 seconds until the end of the track. Brian Johnson's lyrics had never made 
more sense to me than that moment. The speakers projected "We're on a Highway to Hell". Three. Two. One. 
Showtime. I was alone in the room, yet when I turned on the mic, I had the capability to reach over 300,000 
people with each word that was released from my mouth. As I finished my last sentence, I pushed the off but­
ton to relieve my anxiety, and play the next song. 

With a grin on my face, alone, there I was, the woman behind the mic whispering "Just Breathe:' 

The 2011 Analecta Page 86 

What's the differ 
acceptance? Is it a matt' 
biggest stick? I wish I k 
think I'm nuts. Hell, if t 
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lumber and power tools 
you bitch about someth. 
worked; I've boarded Uf 
nosy neighbors. Not th; 

The whole thing 
houses to the south wen 
boarded up, like there h 
deep of a sleeper. The fa 
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heard anything either. 1 
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windows were brought 1 

back to normal when th 
two sons well enough to 
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board up their windows 
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scratched up the back de 
looked past the neighbo 
them had boarded up w 

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going to work entirely, £ 
guns into the house, wa1 
of neighbors left around 
to them, explaining the , 
they simply blow me off 
though: all of the famili( 
mastiff, but most of ther 
house, but all of them w 
were chosen first - I can 
bors, I gave up trying to