If you would have asked me if I was ready to graduate anywhere from January to March I would have responded with a most definite "No." If you would have asked me if I was ready to graduate in March-April 15 I would have said "Yes." If you have asked me within the past week I would respond, yet again, with a strong and confident "No." If you ask me today, I will say "No."
I thought I was ready -- ready to not have to worry about classes any more, ready to not have to do homework, ready to not have so much stress and anxiety -- but the truth is, I'm not. And I don't know if I will ever be ready. It's just one of those things that springs upon you when you're least expecting it and you have to figure out how you're going to handle this change -- change in scenery, change in associations and friends, a change in comfort. I really don't know if there is a way to prepare for it. I don't know if I'd really want to know how to anyway. I don't think you're supposed to be prepared for everything life throws at you. What's the fun and spontaneity in that? How else do you grow and really learn what you like and dislike, how to have self-discipline and do things you don't necessarily want to do? You don't, and that's why you can't prepare. It's life.
I think my friend Ashley explained it a little when she said,"It's not necessarily the classes that I'm going to miss, but just the whole college experience" ....the college life, the feelings, thoughts, growth, learning -- the atmosphere. She is right.
And now for some random memory or thought that affected me in some way that I still remember it today....
I like maple bars -- a lot! I'd have to say this is one of my most favorite treats -- besides ice cream that is! My hereditary love for doughnuts came from my grandma, and yes, I'm quite sure it's heredity. We both could sit down with our own box of doughnut holes and within a matter of minutes put them all down, without even thinking. Anyway -- to the story...so my love for maple bars, and especially fresh ones, led me to meet others who shared in this same joy and passion . One day, when I was a freshman, I received the joyous news that Tommy's Doughnuts made fresh maple bars every day at 1:30 in the a.m. So, of course, my friends and I planned a doughnut run to experience these fresh-from-the-oven tasties! Now, as I mentioned in my previous post, I went to bed every night at 10:30 sharp. So my dear friend, Whitney, devised a plan that she would get me to go country dancing and then we'd go get maple bars after. It was a win-win for her because she had tried for weeks to get me to go dancing with her and she liked maple bars. The story goes that I did go dancing -- maybe more because I knew I would get a maple bar at the end of it all -- but much to our surprise, Tommy's decided to not be open this Thursday night! Not only was I sorely disappointed about not being able to eat a maple bar, but it was WAY past my bedttime and I had even gone dancing! I was disgusted! But don't you even worry -- a week or two later Whit, myself, and my roommate randomly decided to check on Tommy's again, this time at 11:30 or midnight, and we scored with fresh maple bars! We even documented our "midnight run" with a picture and it remains one of my favorites to this day!
Disclaimer: (No. 1) I did actually enjoy dancing, even though I was not willing to go. I just had never been and had no idea what I was doing. No, just because I'm from Idaho does not mean I know how, or have ever been country-swing dancing!
(No.2) I found that even though Tommy's maple bars were right off the frier, I'd prefer a maple bar from most grocery stores any day. Not kidding!
5 comments:
Leaving the whole college experience is the reason they invented grad school--I'm quite sure of it.
But I also know (from experience) that working on campus after graduation is another way to extend the fun of school without the hassle of classes.
I still think you are cute and fun after all these years!
good job whit, stay young as long as you can. but even when your old, act young
good job whit, stay young as long as you can. but even when your old, act young
oops!!
oh whit, you have captured exactly how i feel about leaving utah state, so many memories, good times, ugh i don't want to leave. But like you said, change is how we grow!
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