" When you're in Texas look behind you, 'cause that's where the ranger's gonna be."
- Theme from Walker, Texas Ranger
Graduation leers behind my back and above my head, taunting, pushing, and stressing me out.
But I crave it's attention. Graduation means I have completed my thesis; means I'm done with school; means I can take my life back; means I have to take my future education into my own hands; means I'm FINISHED with school; means I have to pay back student loans; means I can take my life back (did I already mention that?). I will miss it/I won't miss it.
Maybe it means the Razorbacks will start winning again...I would hate to think I'm somehow a bad omen for the team, but they've been sucking it up since I set foot on campus, and there's no excuse for an SEC team to lose to the yankees at Rutgers two years in a row. For SHAME.
Today, I had an epiphany. The cold makes me long for the holidays. As I was making copies for my supervisor's class, I had a thought about how nice it will be to read A Christmas Carol, as I do every year, but this year with no amount of homework hanging over my head. I defended my thesis before Thanksgiving and I will graduate this weekend, before Christmas making this year the most relaxing and satisfying of these holidays to date (I hope).
After finishing the statistics class from hell this week, I am officially done with classwork and can start to enjoy the holiday. When will I feel the relief! It has yet to hit me that I'm done. Such a strange feeling! Once the grades have all been tallied, and the chips fall where they may, I suppose I can officially relax and revel in my Master's degree before I have to face the real world head on and pay back my student loan debt.
Graduation is a special time. Boring ceremony, family gathering, and lots of pride. Afterward, I intend to celebrate with my big ol' Southern family and group of friends who have supported me along the way. Bless them for putting up with the ups and downs that education placed on my moods and emotions, and supporting me even if they didn't understand what I was doing or going through.
And to all of you who are pursuing advanced degrees, don't give up or lose hope! It can be done! I have faith in you.
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Monday, May 20, 2013
southern girl on libraries
"Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing." -Scout Finch~ To Kill a Mockingbird- Nell Harper Lee
When I was a kid, I went to a very small elementary school, in a very small old stone building, in a very small community in southwest Arkansas. ("It's alright to be little-bitty." - Alan Jackson) I am confident there is no other building like this one in the whole world. There were three large classrooms (housing two classes of children each: first and second grade, third and fourth grade, and fifth and sixth grade), one room used as a computer lab (and yes we did have the old gray solid piece Apple computers that were AWESOME), a set of very old bathrooms marked 'boys' and 'girls', a teacher's lounge area that I'm pretty sure was just created with some added drywall, and two offices for the principal and the counselor. In the middle of these rooms was a large open area we referred to as the auditorium, which was fitting since it had a stage at one end. Almost everything in the school was a dark brown wood. The walls, the floors, the stage, everything. I believe the extremely high ceilings were white washed, and each of the classrooms had a large wall of windows which sometimes made it hard to concentrate in class. The building was built of wood, stone, and cement. Solid to say the very least. In hindsight, it was like stepping back in time, but I was too young then to know most people did not attend school in buildings like that one. The auditorium, when not being used for school plays, award ceremonies, graduations and the like, was filled with shelves on wheels which contained our library (and could quite conveniently be moved when we needed to set chairs up for our parents to watch our productions and accomplishments). This is where I first learned to adore the concept of a library. I distinctly remember my mother taking me to this library either before I started kindergarten or just after finishing kindergarten, and I was allowed to borrow books in the summer. It was thrilling! It was also the location of many a book fair, which is to this day pretty much my favorite thing in the world.
I have loved books as long as I can recall. My parents and grandparents read to me from infancy I suppose. More than that, I saw them reading, which fueled my desire to learn to read as soon as possible. I wanted to read books with no (or fewer) pictures, books with chapters, books with over 100 pages! When I first began my attendance of the afore mentioned school at age 5, I was extremely disappointed after the first day of kindergarten did not result in my mastery of the written English word. And unfortunately, at that time, kindergarten was held in a building separate from the one which contained the library, and we had to wait for library day each week to experience it... ("It's a hard-knock life.."- Annie).
Unlike some children, my love for the written word never faltered. Not through the hormonal middle school years, nor the peer pressurey high school years when I had a lot on my plate trying to be social and all. Not through college when God knows I didn't have time for leisurely reading except during extended breaks. Even now as I struggle my way through graduate school I sneak the occasional peek at a book that I want to read, and not one that I have to. I don't know if I could live without it. I've never tried. But all in all, I don't think my love of reading gets in the way of living my life, it enhances it. My nose isn't constantly stuck in a book, just a lot of the time...
I can remember days in the summer spent COMPLETELY absorbed in a book. All day long I would sit and read, only escaping my room, or wherever I had chosen to land, for a quick bite to eat after which I would return to complete absorption. This drove my mother crazy! She was constantly telling me to "Go outside and play! Go outside and ___________(insert chore here)! GO OUTSIDE!" Apparently, outside was the place for children and teenagers in the summer, despite the fact that we lived in southern Arkansas and it was a hundred and ten in the shade for Pete's sake. So, after this one-sided conversation ensued on a regular basis, I would take my book and head to the porch or some other shady spot and be content reading outside. For some reason I never started out reading there. I guess I just liked to hear mom nag at me...for reading.
I could never understand why my mother would have a problem with my desire and ability to read. I'm pretty sure I have told her on more than one occasion, "I don't know why you don't want me to read. You're so lucky! You never had to invest in Hooked on Phonics with this kid!" Lucky her, my little brother, Clint, turned out to be the same way. Many times we have sat side by side for hours, noses stuck in books, sometimes the same book, different copy, different chapter. Now that's sibling bonding.
(To be clear, I later understood that it wasn't that my mother didn't want me to read, she just wanted me to get off my butt, get out of the house and do something active.)
I don't remember my father ever having any sort of aversion to mine and Clint's reading habits, although we did get the occasional ribbing for being book nerds, but in a purely loving way. I'm sure it did grade on his nerves when we would all gather in the family room and my little bro and I completely ignored the goings on around us because the books we were reading took precedence over anything else.
I don't think my parents knew what they were getting into by making books and reading such a large part of my life at an early age. However, I am soooo thankful they did it! And despite the frustrations they must have later suffered due to Clint's and my total obsession with the written word, I intend to raise any children I might have in the same fashion. Reading must be made fun, not made out to be a chore. My hypothetical children will be read to and will see me reading, and hopefully that will instill in him/her/them the desire to read as well.
I told you that story to say this: literacy is important and affects people's livelihoods. An organization called The Literacy Company was founded in order to produce software that teaches people to read proficiently. This company has conducted research regarding literacy and the following are a few literacy facts they have published on their website, http://www.readfaster.com/education_stats.asp:
- Over one million children drop out of school each year, costing the nation over $240 billion in lost earnings, forgone tax revenues, and expenditures for social services. (McQuillan, 1998)
When I was a kid, I went to a very small elementary school, in a very small old stone building, in a very small community in southwest Arkansas. ("It's alright to be little-bitty." - Alan Jackson) I am confident there is no other building like this one in the whole world. There were three large classrooms (housing two classes of children each: first and second grade, third and fourth grade, and fifth and sixth grade), one room used as a computer lab (and yes we did have the old gray solid piece Apple computers that were AWESOME), a set of very old bathrooms marked 'boys' and 'girls', a teacher's lounge area that I'm pretty sure was just created with some added drywall, and two offices for the principal and the counselor. In the middle of these rooms was a large open area we referred to as the auditorium, which was fitting since it had a stage at one end. Almost everything in the school was a dark brown wood. The walls, the floors, the stage, everything. I believe the extremely high ceilings were white washed, and each of the classrooms had a large wall of windows which sometimes made it hard to concentrate in class. The building was built of wood, stone, and cement. Solid to say the very least. In hindsight, it was like stepping back in time, but I was too young then to know most people did not attend school in buildings like that one. The auditorium, when not being used for school plays, award ceremonies, graduations and the like, was filled with shelves on wheels which contained our library (and could quite conveniently be moved when we needed to set chairs up for our parents to watch our productions and accomplishments). This is where I first learned to adore the concept of a library. I distinctly remember my mother taking me to this library either before I started kindergarten or just after finishing kindergarten, and I was allowed to borrow books in the summer. It was thrilling! It was also the location of many a book fair, which is to this day pretty much my favorite thing in the world.
I have loved books as long as I can recall. My parents and grandparents read to me from infancy I suppose. More than that, I saw them reading, which fueled my desire to learn to read as soon as possible. I wanted to read books with no (or fewer) pictures, books with chapters, books with over 100 pages! When I first began my attendance of the afore mentioned school at age 5, I was extremely disappointed after the first day of kindergarten did not result in my mastery of the written English word. And unfortunately, at that time, kindergarten was held in a building separate from the one which contained the library, and we had to wait for library day each week to experience it... ("It's a hard-knock life.."- Annie).
Unlike some children, my love for the written word never faltered. Not through the hormonal middle school years, nor the peer pressurey high school years when I had a lot on my plate trying to be social and all. Not through college when God knows I didn't have time for leisurely reading except during extended breaks. Even now as I struggle my way through graduate school I sneak the occasional peek at a book that I want to read, and not one that I have to. I don't know if I could live without it. I've never tried. But all in all, I don't think my love of reading gets in the way of living my life, it enhances it. My nose isn't constantly stuck in a book, just a lot of the time...
I can remember days in the summer spent COMPLETELY absorbed in a book. All day long I would sit and read, only escaping my room, or wherever I had chosen to land, for a quick bite to eat after which I would return to complete absorption. This drove my mother crazy! She was constantly telling me to "Go outside and play! Go outside and ___________(insert chore here)! GO OUTSIDE!" Apparently, outside was the place for children and teenagers in the summer, despite the fact that we lived in southern Arkansas and it was a hundred and ten in the shade for Pete's sake. So, after this one-sided conversation ensued on a regular basis, I would take my book and head to the porch or some other shady spot and be content reading outside. For some reason I never started out reading there. I guess I just liked to hear mom nag at me...for reading.
I could never understand why my mother would have a problem with my desire and ability to read. I'm pretty sure I have told her on more than one occasion, "I don't know why you don't want me to read. You're so lucky! You never had to invest in Hooked on Phonics with this kid!" Lucky her, my little brother, Clint, turned out to be the same way. Many times we have sat side by side for hours, noses stuck in books, sometimes the same book, different copy, different chapter. Now that's sibling bonding.
(To be clear, I later understood that it wasn't that my mother didn't want me to read, she just wanted me to get off my butt, get out of the house and do something active.)
I don't remember my father ever having any sort of aversion to mine and Clint's reading habits, although we did get the occasional ribbing for being book nerds, but in a purely loving way. I'm sure it did grade on his nerves when we would all gather in the family room and my little bro and I completely ignored the goings on around us because the books we were reading took precedence over anything else.
I don't think my parents knew what they were getting into by making books and reading such a large part of my life at an early age. However, I am soooo thankful they did it! And despite the frustrations they must have later suffered due to Clint's and my total obsession with the written word, I intend to raise any children I might have in the same fashion. Reading must be made fun, not made out to be a chore. My hypothetical children will be read to and will see me reading, and hopefully that will instill in him/her/them the desire to read as well.
I told you that story to say this: literacy is important and affects people's livelihoods. An organization called The Literacy Company was founded in order to produce software that teaches people to read proficiently. This company has conducted research regarding literacy and the following are a few literacy facts they have published on their website, http://www.readfaster.com/education_stats.asp:
- Over one million children drop out of school each year, costing the nation over $240 billion in lost earnings, forgone tax revenues, and expenditures for social services. (McQuillan, 1998)
- More than 20 percent of adults read at or below a fifth-grade level - far below the level needed to earn a living wage. (National Institute for Literacy, 2001) |
- More than three out of four of those on welfare, 85% of unwed mothers and 68% of those arrested are illiterate. About three in five of America's prison inmates are illiterate. (Washington Literacy Council)
|
Saturday, March 23, 2013
southern girl on hard times
And I don't mean the book, Hard Times, by Charles Dickens. (Which, by the way, was "hard times" to read. Why yes, I could put it down, and did frequently before it was conquered.)
"Life is hard."
This is not a Southern saying. To my knowledge, it's not even specifically an American saying. And I don't know this for a fact, but I would be willing to bet that there is phrase similar to this in most languages. Even in my laid back, Southern, and privileged American life, sometimes it's just hard to deal, hard to accept, hard to handle. I think we sometimes try to live under the assumption that we are in control of our own lives. Really? As a God-fearin' woman I don't believe that, but even if I weren't, I think I would be able to recognize that more often than not, other people have far more control over us than we would ever like to admit. Let me give you a for-instance. For instance, you might be driving along one day, turn in to the local coffee shop for a cup of joe ("That'll put some hair on your chest...") and out of the blue, some crazy lady who's more worked up than a cat in a sandbox slams her Oldsmobile directly into your passenger side headlight. How much control did you really have in that situation? Could you have avoided it? Let's say there was no where for you to swerve and probably not even enough time for you to react. Still think you ultimately have the control? How about when someone you care about, that is a big part of your life, does something stupid, or inflicts self harm, or directly causes you pain. Ultimately, you have no control over that person and what they do affects you and others around you. I think that "life is hard" and "no control" go hand in hand. Don't they?
Life is hard when grad school hits you like a ton of bricks the second semester. It's as if they were just toying with you the first semester, hooking you in gradually so as not to scare you away. None of your classes are that hard. All of them are in the same building. A thesis is just something you think about in the future, but it hasn't become a reality yet. Then...BAM! They hit you with it. Second semester rolls around. None of your classes are in the same building, none are even in your department's building, and you're beginning your thesis and a case study all in one fail swoop. Why yes, this is a very particular example, perhaps because I'm dealing with it right stinking now.
Life is hard when you do things that you should have been able to control in hindsight, but at the time there wasn't an ounce of control exuding from your mind, heart, or body. Been there too. Why do we act certain ways when we are supposedly in control of our actions? Do we control our thoughts or do they manipulate us into making decisions and completing actions whether rational or not? When in hindsight we would do things so differently, but now, there is no control to be had because that moment has come and gone and we made the wrong decision. No rationality = no control. High emotions = no rationality. High emotions result from expectations. And as Shakespeare may or may not have said, "expectation is the root of all heartache." Whether he said it or not, I think it makes perfect sense.
Then there is always something happening on life's back burner. Family crises, boyfriend trouble, illness, death, disfunction, friendship drama....you name it, someone is going through it right now. They have very little control over those situations I would wager. (And yes I know that people bring things on themselves that they DID have control over, but that isn't what this post is aiming at.)
It's not all bad though. No one ever said life was fair. But with the bad comes the good, and contentment can be found. You might say there is a lack of control over the good times too, but we should always be grateful when those times present themselves. Life is an ever evolving cycle of good and bad, hard and simple, joyous and grievous experiences. This may sound completely cynical, but I brace myself for the bad, because I expect it. On the other side, I welcome the good with open arms because it is a gift.
Right now, you may be feeling some of the things that I feel. Or, you may be walking on sunshine because you're on the up cycle instead of the down. How do you deal with the ups and downs? I think that's what life is about. Dealing with them and helping others deal with them along the way. In most cases, we just need someone to help carry us through the hard times, and celebrate with us through the good times.
"Life is hard."
This is not a Southern saying. To my knowledge, it's not even specifically an American saying. And I don't know this for a fact, but I would be willing to bet that there is phrase similar to this in most languages. Even in my laid back, Southern, and privileged American life, sometimes it's just hard to deal, hard to accept, hard to handle. I think we sometimes try to live under the assumption that we are in control of our own lives. Really? As a God-fearin' woman I don't believe that, but even if I weren't, I think I would be able to recognize that more often than not, other people have far more control over us than we would ever like to admit. Let me give you a for-instance. For instance, you might be driving along one day, turn in to the local coffee shop for a cup of joe ("That'll put some hair on your chest...") and out of the blue, some crazy lady who's more worked up than a cat in a sandbox slams her Oldsmobile directly into your passenger side headlight. How much control did you really have in that situation? Could you have avoided it? Let's say there was no where for you to swerve and probably not even enough time for you to react. Still think you ultimately have the control? How about when someone you care about, that is a big part of your life, does something stupid, or inflicts self harm, or directly causes you pain. Ultimately, you have no control over that person and what they do affects you and others around you. I think that "life is hard" and "no control" go hand in hand. Don't they?
Life is hard when grad school hits you like a ton of bricks the second semester. It's as if they were just toying with you the first semester, hooking you in gradually so as not to scare you away. None of your classes are that hard. All of them are in the same building. A thesis is just something you think about in the future, but it hasn't become a reality yet. Then...BAM! They hit you with it. Second semester rolls around. None of your classes are in the same building, none are even in your department's building, and you're beginning your thesis and a case study all in one fail swoop. Why yes, this is a very particular example, perhaps because I'm dealing with it right stinking now.
Life is hard when you do things that you should have been able to control in hindsight, but at the time there wasn't an ounce of control exuding from your mind, heart, or body. Been there too. Why do we act certain ways when we are supposedly in control of our actions? Do we control our thoughts or do they manipulate us into making decisions and completing actions whether rational or not? When in hindsight we would do things so differently, but now, there is no control to be had because that moment has come and gone and we made the wrong decision. No rationality = no control. High emotions = no rationality. High emotions result from expectations. And as Shakespeare may or may not have said, "expectation is the root of all heartache." Whether he said it or not, I think it makes perfect sense.
Then there is always something happening on life's back burner. Family crises, boyfriend trouble, illness, death, disfunction, friendship drama....you name it, someone is going through it right now. They have very little control over those situations I would wager. (And yes I know that people bring things on themselves that they DID have control over, but that isn't what this post is aiming at.)
It's not all bad though. No one ever said life was fair. But with the bad comes the good, and contentment can be found. You might say there is a lack of control over the good times too, but we should always be grateful when those times present themselves. Life is an ever evolving cycle of good and bad, hard and simple, joyous and grievous experiences. This may sound completely cynical, but I brace myself for the bad, because I expect it. On the other side, I welcome the good with open arms because it is a gift.
Right now, you may be feeling some of the things that I feel. Or, you may be walking on sunshine because you're on the up cycle instead of the down. How do you deal with the ups and downs? I think that's what life is about. Dealing with them and helping others deal with them along the way. In most cases, we just need someone to help carry us through the hard times, and celebrate with us through the good times.
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
southern girl on new year and new beginnings
"Write it on your heart that every day is the best day of the year."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
"Let our New Year's resolution be this: we will be there for one another as fellow members of humanity, in the finest sense of the word."
- Goran Persson (former Prime Minister of Sweden)
Well, it's January again. What does that mean you ask? I think you know. That means, that everyone is all gung-ho about getting skinny and fit, everyone wants to do better with their finances, and everyone has projects or goals they wish to accomplish in the new year. The new year, 2013. Can you believe it? Remember Y2K, year 2000? That was 13 years ago y'all. I was 12 years old. Remember how the world was going to come to an end as technology failed us and we were destined to run out of water? Good times. And then last year, we were again destined to all burn and die as the end of the Mayan calendar approached on December 21, 2012. We somehow managed to survive that too. Because sometimes humans make silly assumptions.
There is nothing wrong with resolving to be better in the year(s) to come. Most of us participate in new resolve for a new year. There is something refreshing about it. Here in the South, maybe lots of women resolved to cook with less butter and grease for health reasons. Maybe the yankees resolved to be nicer to strangers. Who knows what people have planned for their futures?
Personally, there are a lot of things I wish to pursue this year. For instance, I hope to be 3/4s of the way finished with my Master's degree by the end of the year. I also hope to be 40 pounds lighter. And who doesn't want to be more physically fit I ask you? Good Lord willing and the creek don't rise, I will have accomplished all of these things. Also, I have recently taken up sewing, and anticipate continuing that endeavor. For the moment, every lady I know should be on the lookout for an apron coming her way, as that is the only thing I even remotely know how to sew at present, and what I have a pattern for. (Well, they could anticipate getting one if I could afford it.) Finances: of course I want them to improve, but as a destitute graduate student, I can only hope to stay afloat it seems.
(Un)Fortunately for me, the beginning of the year also means that I must celebrate turning another year older. I believe that this will be the first year I have a problem with my birthday. Oh how I will miss those days when I looked forward to it. I'm not that old. In fact, I am certainly still in my prime, my youth for that matter. And no I will not spell out for you how old I am, since I have already provided the numbers above for you to figure it out yourself. But still, the closer I get to thirty, the more aware of forty I become. Ridiculous isn't it? I suppose that's human nature, since I know I'm not the only one who has ever felt that way. I certainly remember how hard 40 was for my mother (and I hope she won't kill me for writing this.) So I resolved on her 40th birthday to make her feel as young as I could. I bought her a coloring book and a Disney movie if I recall correctly. She also received a lot of gag gifts and ribbing from the family, but the important thing was that we were all there for her and with her to celebrate her extraordinary life, up to that point, of 40 years. I hope that I can be surrounded by the same warmth at such a fine age. (40 is the new 30, don't you know.) For my father, 50 was the hard year. It seems like that one is harder for men. So for him I gathered his closest friends and family (who also supplied gag gifts) and we played dominoes and cards all evening into the night, just enjoying each others' company, having our cake and eating it too. (Also, I may have posted signs all around for both of these celebrations to make sure everyone was aware that my parents were alive and well at age 40 and 50.) Come to think of it, I don't know why I'm so worried about getting older. Those birthdays celebrations remain very fond memories for me, as I hope they do for my parents. I guess I can only hope to one day have a daughter as thoughtful as theirs. ;)
So, birthdays and the new year. Most people will have one this year. If they don't, well, that's unfortunate. But everyone gets the chance for a new beginning, a chance to change something they want to change, or achieve something they want to achieve. Goals and accomplishments keep us going, don't they? Investing in ourselves and others is the most fulfilling thing in the world, is it not? Sure it also opens us up to the risk of failure or heartache, but in the end it's the only way to grow. So this year, I wish you health and happiness, the ability to invest where it is wisest, and personal growth that makes you a better human being. As Emerson said, every day is the best day: to start that weight loss program, to stop spending and start saving, to book that trip to the Southern city of your choice and open yourself up to Southern hospitality at it's finest...there's no day like today, so take advantage because no one is promised a tomorrow.
Happy New Year, and good luck on your new beginning.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
"Let our New Year's resolution be this: we will be there for one another as fellow members of humanity, in the finest sense of the word."
- Goran Persson (former Prime Minister of Sweden)
Well, it's January again. What does that mean you ask? I think you know. That means, that everyone is all gung-ho about getting skinny and fit, everyone wants to do better with their finances, and everyone has projects or goals they wish to accomplish in the new year. The new year, 2013. Can you believe it? Remember Y2K, year 2000? That was 13 years ago y'all. I was 12 years old. Remember how the world was going to come to an end as technology failed us and we were destined to run out of water? Good times. And then last year, we were again destined to all burn and die as the end of the Mayan calendar approached on December 21, 2012. We somehow managed to survive that too. Because sometimes humans make silly assumptions.
There is nothing wrong with resolving to be better in the year(s) to come. Most of us participate in new resolve for a new year. There is something refreshing about it. Here in the South, maybe lots of women resolved to cook with less butter and grease for health reasons. Maybe the yankees resolved to be nicer to strangers. Who knows what people have planned for their futures?
Personally, there are a lot of things I wish to pursue this year. For instance, I hope to be 3/4s of the way finished with my Master's degree by the end of the year. I also hope to be 40 pounds lighter. And who doesn't want to be more physically fit I ask you? Good Lord willing and the creek don't rise, I will have accomplished all of these things. Also, I have recently taken up sewing, and anticipate continuing that endeavor. For the moment, every lady I know should be on the lookout for an apron coming her way, as that is the only thing I even remotely know how to sew at present, and what I have a pattern for. (Well, they could anticipate getting one if I could afford it.) Finances: of course I want them to improve, but as a destitute graduate student, I can only hope to stay afloat it seems.
(Un)Fortunately for me, the beginning of the year also means that I must celebrate turning another year older. I believe that this will be the first year I have a problem with my birthday. Oh how I will miss those days when I looked forward to it. I'm not that old. In fact, I am certainly still in my prime, my youth for that matter. And no I will not spell out for you how old I am, since I have already provided the numbers above for you to figure it out yourself. But still, the closer I get to thirty, the more aware of forty I become. Ridiculous isn't it? I suppose that's human nature, since I know I'm not the only one who has ever felt that way. I certainly remember how hard 40 was for my mother (and I hope she won't kill me for writing this.) So I resolved on her 40th birthday to make her feel as young as I could. I bought her a coloring book and a Disney movie if I recall correctly. She also received a lot of gag gifts and ribbing from the family, but the important thing was that we were all there for her and with her to celebrate her extraordinary life, up to that point, of 40 years. I hope that I can be surrounded by the same warmth at such a fine age. (40 is the new 30, don't you know.) For my father, 50 was the hard year. It seems like that one is harder for men. So for him I gathered his closest friends and family (who also supplied gag gifts) and we played dominoes and cards all evening into the night, just enjoying each others' company, having our cake and eating it too. (Also, I may have posted signs all around for both of these celebrations to make sure everyone was aware that my parents were alive and well at age 40 and 50.) Come to think of it, I don't know why I'm so worried about getting older. Those birthdays celebrations remain very fond memories for me, as I hope they do for my parents. I guess I can only hope to one day have a daughter as thoughtful as theirs. ;)
So, birthdays and the new year. Most people will have one this year. If they don't, well, that's unfortunate. But everyone gets the chance for a new beginning, a chance to change something they want to change, or achieve something they want to achieve. Goals and accomplishments keep us going, don't they? Investing in ourselves and others is the most fulfilling thing in the world, is it not? Sure it also opens us up to the risk of failure or heartache, but in the end it's the only way to grow. So this year, I wish you health and happiness, the ability to invest where it is wisest, and personal growth that makes you a better human being. As Emerson said, every day is the best day: to start that weight loss program, to stop spending and start saving, to book that trip to the Southern city of your choice and open yourself up to Southern hospitality at it's finest...there's no day like today, so take advantage because no one is promised a tomorrow.
Happy New Year, and good luck on your new beginning.
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