Conversation Partner Meeting #3

Every college student has those weeks when they have two tests, a paper, a project, and some social gathering they must attend. Right? We all have those weeks when we feel like we have no extra time and, even, not enough time at all to get done all that needs to be done. This week was one of those weeks for both I and Lupe. We both had big tests the next day, and we both had other things we could be doing instead of meeting each other to talk. The majority of our conversation centered around complaining about how much school work we had to do, and how stressed out we were. One of us would complain and the other would say, "you're going to do great!" Then the other would say, "NO! I'm seeeeriously going to fail this test." By the end of the conversation, we were both ready to move on and get our studying done. This conversation sparked two interesting concepts to me when I later reflected on it.
The first aspect that sparked my thought concerned the complaining. Why did we both have such deep doubts in our abilities. Both Lupe and I are obviously intelligent enough to make it this far in college. Why do we not have confidence in ourselves? Is it because we don't want to seem conceited and confident in our abilities? Or, is it that we want others to feel bad for all the hard work we have to put in? Furthermore, why do we complain so much about our schoolwork when we should be thankful for how fortunate we are to be going to school? I do not have the answers to theses questions. The only quasi-answer I can think of is that we all like to complain because it is what society has taught us to do.
The second aspect of my conversation with Lupe that interested me was how neither of us were truly "present" to each other. We both longed to be other places doing other things. Instead of enjoying each other's company and sharing the time, we were complaining about things unrelated to the present moment. I notice the distance of people more often as I grow older. Most people are not present to one another and it is a shame. We all have something to give and we all should mindfully recognize what other people deserve: our presence. You never know when someone is in need of you'r attention or when giving your attention to someone else can even help you.
This is all food for thought and just my reflecting on my thoughts and experiences. I hope someone can relate to what I am seeing and maybe make an effort to be present to someone who needs it.