“There’s a well of water deep inside,

High upon the mountain of our dreams,

That catches every tear we’ve ever cried,

And pour them out again in a cooling stream.”

Elaine Kolb, “Coming From Somewhere”

On a summer night of 1973 in Atlanta, Elaine Kolb was facing intense fear and dread. She was only 23, but everything was already too much for her. She had to escape – so she did. She ran and ran all night long until she blacked out from pure physical and emotional exhaustion. The next morning, she woke up with a song on her head and – finally – the feeling of inner peace.

This piece will tell the story of how Elaine Kolb struggled with feelings of despair and hysteria in her young life and how the song that came to her in a bought of emotional explosion has kept her grounded, hopeful, and compassionate into her senior years. Her words can be easily applied to many young adults today, myself included, who feel lost and anxious about what we are supposed to do in this crazy world. Elaine’s wisdom and life experience brings insight to the human condition of existentialism and how we can find peace and understanding within ourselves.