"To Prove to Dad I'm Not a Fool"

Classes started Monday. I suppose that's all I really need to say, but, of course, that's not where I'm going to leave it. I'm taking 13 credits this semester and trying to work as much as I can in between. Before yesterday, I had decided that I had a pretty full schedule seen below:

• Monday/Wednesday: Work 9-12PM, Class 1-3:30PM and 6-9PM
• Tuesday: Work 9-5PM, Class 6-9PM
• Thursday-Friday: Work 9-5PM
• Saturday: Possibly Work
• Sunday: The normal Sunday kind of things.

Pretty rough right? Yeah, I know, I'm laughing too. In my Art and Cultures class last night, we sat in a circle in the back of the room and introduced ourselves. At first, I felt like I was five years old and getting ready for "story time" or "show and tell." Then I started listening to the little glimpses into their lives that these people were sharing.

One girl is going to school part time, working full time, and has two young boys and a husband at home.

There's a guy who hasn't been to school since 1975 and has worked construction since then in Wayne County. He came to Jackson for better job opportunities.

There's another girl who has 3 boys at home and is separated from her husband who's currently in the war. She's only a few years older than me.

There's a guy from Senegal who already has his Master's Degree in something I can't remember who is basically here just to improve his English (which already sounds great) because he is most fluent in French.

Case in point--I need to stop feeling sorry for myself. I still have it pretty easy. Sure others have it even easier, but would I even want that? I like being challenged. I like feeling accomplished. I like knowing I can do things for myself.

So, all that's to say that even though school's not my favorite thing in this world, like a very close friend told me to do, I'm going to live every day the best that I can. It's what I was created to do.