What 2009 Taught Me

"Uh, Steph...it's been 2010 for almost a month now."

Yes, I am well aware.

To be honest, I wanted to do this earlier this month, but I couldn't find the time. 2009 was an, for a lack of a better, word, interesting year for me. I wouldn't really say it was a GOOD year, but I suppose it really could have been worse. I'm not going to relieve every grievance I suffered, because who would want to read that? No, instead I'm going to make a list, in no particular order, of what 2009 taught me.

Here we go...

*I've become more cynical than I was before.
*"Shit" really does, "roll down hill" (that's a saying I got from my mom.)
*For the first time in my life I feel old--and I don't like it.
*People are stubborn--they would rather give up a friendship than admit they were wrong.
*"Friendship" is a facade.
*True friends don't need to be labeled. They're just there.
*I don't have many true friends after all.
*Sometimes you've got to let things go.
*I'm not the crazy, right-winged conservative that I was in 2004 & 2005.
*I'm not liberal either. I guess I'm nothing really.
*I hate politics.
*Twilight really does suck--but it is good that it might, maybe, possibly introduce young people to the world of good literature.
*Twilight is not good literature.
*"Facebook drama" is almost as bad as "Junior High drama".
*The Snuggie is just about the stupidest invention I've ever seen. It just might beat out Crocs.
*The people at Pixar are AWESOME!!! (I kinda already knew that one, though.)
*I don't really know how to write. I've got a lot of work to do before I can even come close to getting something published.
*I hate the public.
*I hate my job.
*No entiendo la lengua española muy bien. Puedo hablar sobre así como un niño de diez años. No me gusta ya!
*I have a slight crush on Joel McHale. I know it's partly because he's an a--hole.
*"Nice guys" are jerks.
*Gwen Stefani is awesome!!! That No Doubt concert was FREAKIN' SWEET!!!
*Lady GaGa intrigues me. She's like a car crash.
*I think I'm a "Cat Lady in Training".
*I do like Michael Jackson. I am sad that he's dead.
*Yes, he is dead.
*People, er, women who like "Sex in the City" are living in a dream world.
*I like Sushi--ESPECIALLY CALIFORNIA ROLLS!!!
*I like ribs too.
*People are too obsessed with blood. (Take that how you want.)
*A lot of "younger" people annoy me. When does that end?
*Going to Wisconsin was AWESOME!!!
*I want to travel more.
*I'M NO LONGER AFRAID OF FLYING!!!

...

That'll do for now. Maybe I'll write more, maybe not.

I'm Non-Traditional

So, apparently, I'm now considered a "Non-traditional" student at my university. It includes anyone 25 or older (me), married students, or students with children. I didn't think it was a big deal, but now I'm getting all this spam e-mail at my university address. They want me to join them and to start doing activities and such. Um, no. I don't want to do that. Just let me be!

I also went to my first class of the semester last night and I swear I'm one of the oldest students in there. I sat by a group of girls who were talking about how weird it was that they graduated from high school almost a year ago. Bloody hell!!! This is starting to weird me out.

Dear Lady,

I can't believe you actually said those things to me. I've never had anyone react like that to something so stupid. I guess you were upset that I threw off the balance of your perfect little world, huh? No more pancakes and pink-unicorns for you, right? Please! We both know that's not true. You've got the better deal here. Your not hurting--you're fine!

I don't know what's become of the world. Oh sure, call me cynical. Call me a terrible person or someone who has a "bad attitude". Whatever, I'll take it. Putting the blame on me does not fix the problem though, Lady! What about YOUR actions, huh? No, we CERTAINLY cannot blame you--that would be horrible!!! But let me tell you this, Lady; I AM NOT GOING TO FOLD!!! I have done that too much lately and I have decided that enough is enough!!!

I'll cooperate as far as your part is concerned. I'm not stupid enough to tear up the Mona Lisa before anyone can get a look at it. But listen well, Lady---YOU CANNOT BREAK ME!!! YOU WILL NEVER, EVER BREAK ME!!!

What the...?

So it looks like everything has gone crazy the last 20 hours or so. Don't you love it when two people from opposite sides of your life somehow find each other---and then RIP EACH OTHER'S THROATS OUT??? Holy cow!!! Did I DIE or something? Is this Hell? It kind of feels like it--especially since I have to go to work in less than an hour. Yikes.

BTW Facebook sucks.

Six Years

Six years ago on this day a nervous 18-year-old stood waiting in a line with people she hardly knew. She primped her bushy hair and smoothed out her very attractive golden gown. When the line started moving her heart skipped a beat. As she entered the stadium she scoured the crowd and miraculously spotted her parents, brother, sister-in-law, and her niece waving and smiling at her. She was upset that her sister and sister's family had not shown up but she tried her best to ignore it. Like a solider going to battle she marched single file until she was led down a row of seats where she ended up sitting on the aisle.

As the program began she spotted a few of her friends throughout the crowd of nearly 2,000. She laughed at a friend who had been roped into singing with the choir (even though the friend enjoyed her role in the ceremony). She even spotted a boy she liked and blushed a little when he waved to her. (Ah, schmaltzy teenage affection!) After an hour and a half or so of listening to boring speeches and watching nearly everyone else take "the walk" her row stood up and, again, she obediently followed.

Once she had made it to the back of the stage her palms began to sweat and her heart pounded like a kettle drum. She then heard whisperings of some of the people ahead of her. There had apparently been a mistake. The end of the S's and the beginning of the T's had come down before the end of the R's and the beginning of the S's. She realized that as an "SU" she would be walking before someone she knew who was an "ST". She panicked for a minute and wondered if this alphabetical error would cost her from walking. However, as those ahead of her began to walk without a problem she knew she would be fine.

Finally the big moment came. As she stood at the "doorway" the student body president (with whom she always had thought was very, very cute) looked at her name card and said it to her in full to make sure it had been pronounced correctly. She nodded nervously and when she heard her name echoed overhead she walked tall down the walkway. The principal and some administrators shook her hand and one of them asked where she would be going to college.
"Utah State," she mumbled nervously. She then paused for a picture (where her parents later decided NOT to buy because it totally was a rip-off) where they handed her the diploma frame and she made her way back to her seat.

After it was all over she pushed her way outside through the crowd, took pictures with her family, and once she returned the fabulous golden gown (although it was better then the brown that the boys had to wear) a PTA lady pulled a piece of paper out of a file and handed it to her. She stared at the paper for the moment before she slid it into the leather, book-style frame.
Thirteen years of public schooling had brought her to this moment. Steph had graduated from high school.

...

As I sit here six years later I can still recall moments of that day quite well (obviously). Although my life is not exactly what I thought it would be I can not deny that I have come down quite a road and have accomplished a lot since then. I am hoping to be a part of another graduation ceremony in the next year as I have recently learned that I am officially a college senior. Who knows what else could happen along the way? I guess it is true--today is the first day of the rest of my life.