When I was born, I had two parents, two grandmothers, one grandfather, one great grandmother, one great grandfather, and numerous aunts and uncles. I now have one parent (my wonderful mom), one grandmother, and one grandfather. Today my Uncle Wesley died. He was the last of my mom's living brothers. My grandfather will bury the fourth of his six children on Monday. That doesn't even count my dad and uncle, his sons-in-law.
I know I am blessed. I have so many people who love me and whom I love. Some of them are related to me. Some are not. That doesn't mean they are not family to me. Most of the time I enjoy having lots of love around me. On days like today, I wonder if life would not be easier if there were less people in my life. Then I remember the multitude of blessings and I ask God for forgiveness for not appreciating what I have.
So, for the record, all of you out there, I love you. Thank you for being a part of my life. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for being a blessing. On Monday, I am planning to attend Uncle Wes's funeral. But you know what, I will be surrounded by lots of other people who are still here and love me. A lot.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Monday, February 1, 2010
Wasting My Education
Recently I have been giving a lot of thought to the idea of "wasting my education." Although no one has said this to me to my face, I know some people are thinking it. I can tell by the way they look at me.
In order to understand, I guess you must first have either known me in my past life, or get caught up. I was an over achiever. Got a 30 on my ACT the first time around and took it twice more until I got a 31. Entered Mary Baldwin College, a private women's liberal arts college, in the top ten percent of the freshmen class. Had to take an honors seminar my first semester with only those students in the top ten percent. Of the thirty women in the class, was one of only three or four to receive an A, not an A-, but a real live A. I went on to graduate with a double major in Arts Management and Theatre. Wrote papers for both majors and defended them. Received special honors in both majors (we called it "with distinction"). Graduated in the top ten percent of my class. Was twenty years old when I walked across the stage and was handed my diploma.
Now I know what some of you are thinking. How hard can it be to major in theatre? Let me tell you. I went to class during the day, ate dinner, went to rehearsal almost every night, and then went home to do homework. Yes, we had homework. One project in particular stands out in my mind. I was taking a class on stage craft. We were given a list of about a hundred tools (no exaggeration) and told to draw the tool and give a description of its use. Have you ever tried to draw a pair of pliers? How about a level? Trust me, it was hard work and not for the faint of heart. On top of that, I getting my rear end kicked by two semesters of accounting and lots of other business courses. Of course, we made time for the usual college stuff. Parties. Boys. Road trips. But we lived by the college president's motto: we worked hard and played hard.
After college I took a year off and went to work. It stunk. Was not fulfilling at all. I decided to go back to graduate school. So I enrolled in the MBA program at the University of Memphis and earned an MBA with concentrations in both marketing and finance.
I went to work. Then the real education began. After several years in the insurance industry, working my way up the ladder, let's just say that I discovered it wasn't for me. So now, here I am, working retail two days a week at a small children's boutique near my home. Sure, lots of other things happened. People close to me left this world, including my father. I married the love of my life. And finally, after years of struggle and infertility, I am a mother.
There is the background. So, as my grandfather would say, I told you that to tell you this, I decided to write about what I am learning while I "waste my education". I'll let you know what I find out...
In order to understand, I guess you must first have either known me in my past life, or get caught up. I was an over achiever. Got a 30 on my ACT the first time around and took it twice more until I got a 31. Entered Mary Baldwin College, a private women's liberal arts college, in the top ten percent of the freshmen class. Had to take an honors seminar my first semester with only those students in the top ten percent. Of the thirty women in the class, was one of only three or four to receive an A, not an A-, but a real live A. I went on to graduate with a double major in Arts Management and Theatre. Wrote papers for both majors and defended them. Received special honors in both majors (we called it "with distinction"). Graduated in the top ten percent of my class. Was twenty years old when I walked across the stage and was handed my diploma.
Now I know what some of you are thinking. How hard can it be to major in theatre? Let me tell you. I went to class during the day, ate dinner, went to rehearsal almost every night, and then went home to do homework. Yes, we had homework. One project in particular stands out in my mind. I was taking a class on stage craft. We were given a list of about a hundred tools (no exaggeration) and told to draw the tool and give a description of its use. Have you ever tried to draw a pair of pliers? How about a level? Trust me, it was hard work and not for the faint of heart. On top of that, I getting my rear end kicked by two semesters of accounting and lots of other business courses. Of course, we made time for the usual college stuff. Parties. Boys. Road trips. But we lived by the college president's motto: we worked hard and played hard.
After college I took a year off and went to work. It stunk. Was not fulfilling at all. I decided to go back to graduate school. So I enrolled in the MBA program at the University of Memphis and earned an MBA with concentrations in both marketing and finance.
I went to work. Then the real education began. After several years in the insurance industry, working my way up the ladder, let's just say that I discovered it wasn't for me. So now, here I am, working retail two days a week at a small children's boutique near my home. Sure, lots of other things happened. People close to me left this world, including my father. I married the love of my life. And finally, after years of struggle and infertility, I am a mother.
There is the background. So, as my grandfather would say, I told you that to tell you this, I decided to write about what I am learning while I "waste my education". I'll let you know what I find out...
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