I, like so many others, have gone through pre school, grade school, high school and college. When transitioning from one to another and taking the next leap into a new chapter of my life I was required to change. I was required to change my maturity level. I was required to change my studying habits. I was even required to change my outlook on life in order to entertain the path that I wanted for myself. While at times the changes may have seemed hard, I overcame them and pushed on through. I dealt with the change and I let things go. I thought I was good with change and applauded myself for not becoming overwhelmed. 

I sit here today faced with another change; a different kind of change. A change that I feel is being forced upon me and I can do little to stop. This change is frustrating, disheartening and the hardest for me, personally, to overcome. It’s a change in people. Those that you once thought you knew no longer seem existent. They’re see through. Now don’t get me wrong, I have wonderful people in my life that lift me up and that I confide in daily. They are my rocks. When I tell people I don’t know what I’d do without my friends, I mean it whole heartedly. I don’t mean it in a cocky, look at me and how many friends I have, type of way. I mean it because I literally don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have them in my life. Throughout my time on this earth, and I’m sure yours also, it becomes very evident that there is no controlling who and what people become. Everyone chooses their own path in life and ultimately, God has control of our destiny.

Letting people go, instead of letting things go, is not easy for me. I am the type of person who wears my heart on my sleeve. I repeatedly give those around me the benefit of the doubt and am the first person to forgive and forget. I give people second chances. Third, fourth or fifth chances if need be. This may be a flaw of mine, but it’s in my nature. It greatly saddens me to see those that I know have potential and that I once knew to be great, going down a path leading to turmoil and self destruction. Today I pray for patience in order to understand why things turn out the way they do. Why are we challenged with situations that could be prevented and why do people take turns for the worse? As much as I want to know the answers to questions like these, they may never be revealed.

You can never change another human being. 

Gotye - Somebody That I Used to Know

Now and then I think of when we were together
Like when you said you felt so happy you could die
Told myself that you were right for me
But felt so lonely in your company
But that was love and it’s an ache I still remember 

You can get addicted to a certain kind of sadness
Like resignation to the end, always the end
So when we found that we could not make sense
Well you said that we would still be friends
But I’ll admit that I was glad it was over

But you didn’t have to cut me off
Make out like it never happened and that we were nothing
And I don’t even need your love
But you treat me like a stranger and I feel so rough
No you didn’t have to stoop so low
Have your friends collect your records and then change your number
I guess that I don’t need that though
Now you’re just somebody that I used to know 

Now and then I think of all the times you screwed me over
Part of me believing it was always something that I’d done
But I don’t wanna live that way
Reading into every word you say
You said that you could let it go
And I wouldn’t catch you hung up on somebody that you used to know 

The entire Indiana University community is deeply concerned over the disappearance of Lauren Spierer. We will continue to cooperate in every way possible with the Bloomington police and others who are conducting an intensive investigation and search for Lauren. I have met with the parents, as has Provost Karen Hanson, and we both have pledged to them that IU will do all that we can to support them and to help find out what has happened to Lauren. The Dean of Students, Pete Goldsmith, will continue to serve as the university’s main contact with the family but we have deployed other university resources to this effort, as well. University police, facilities staff, campus ROTC and many other university employees have participated in the effort to find Lauren. We will continue to assist the family and the authorities in any way that we can. 

Michael A. McRobbie 



This letter was published directly from http://protect.iu.edu/lauren