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A journal for 30DBC and other feline musings. |
| July 24 30DBC Prompt: Actress Ruth Buzzi, born on this day in 1936, once said "Life has all sorts of hills and valleys, and sometimes you don't end up doing what you had your heart set out on, but sometimes that's even better!" When has something like this happened to you? I remember clearly when this happened to me in a major way. I went into college thinking I wanted to major in business and open a bookshop/cafe. Nothing wrong with that goal, mind you, and life has a funny way of coming full circle, so I'm not closed off to the idea. But a trusted professor gave me some advice that changed the whole course of my college career."Many businesses prefer to hire English majors rather than business majors, and that's because English majors know how to communicate well. Business skills can be taught. Effective communication is a rare gift that few choose to cultivate." His comment opened up a tentative world of possibilities in my mind. Could I really pursue the degree and the classes I loved taking--and skip the ones that bored me to tears? Could I really go to class with all my book-loving, writerly, literary friends as a valid path to a fulfilling career? It just didn't seem possible. But sure enough, I changed my major shortly after that conversation, and also decided to throw in a minor--Music/Vocal Performance. Together, those two programs made my college experience EXACTLY what I had always hoped it would be and more. I got to go to Fantasy Lit in the afternoon and run off to Concert Chorus practice right afterward. I got to keep spinning in color guard, knowing my assignments were to keep my Creative Writing journal updated with new thoughts, brainstorms, ideas, poems, and to work on a short story for next class...in short, stuff I LOVED doing. I also ended up working as a Writing Consultant for the University, which provided me a lot of good experience honing my grammar and composition skills (so that I could then help the tutees that came to me for help). And when I wasn't helping a student, I could be working on my book, doing homework, writing in my journal... My college career was so blissful, looking back. I was stressed and busy, and on a side note, the lightest I've ever been in my life weight-wise. I didn't have a car to worry about. I walked everywhere, lived close to campus with one of my best friends, survived on coffee and cereal (and raw milk from my godmother, for a while), and had an amazing landlady who preferred to see me buy groceries and pay half the rent rather than go without. God was so good to me in that time of my life, and that time led to this time--a more mature version of myself, still struggling to come to terms with what it means to be a work-at-home mom AND be a writer and a wife and an adult in this crazy world. And He is still so good to me. I have a loving husband who is my best friend, and who's getting ready to embark on a new journey of his own--setting up a kindergarten classroom. So now I'm officially married to a kindergarten teacher.  I am able to work from home. My pregnancy has been going textbook-smooth so far (hopefully it continues!). We have an apartment that's just the right size, and rent didn't go up as much as we feared, so we were able to stay for another lease term. We just bought a deep freezer to start storing freezer meals for after baby is born. We are able to purchase groceries, put gas in the car, and go to Mass every Sunday. Family and friends help support us when we need help (for instance, purchasing items for the new classroom, or throwing a shower for the new baby). Through all the turmoil of my college years (leaving one relationship and one faith for a new faith...and a new relationship as a bonus, figuring my life out, dealing with my mom and her significant other's backlash and criticism, coming into my own and standing on my own two feet), it's good to say that things are better than I'd ever imagined they'd be.  AlyCatAuthor |
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