The Poor Life

You know all those complaints about being poor in college.  Everyone's excuse for not having something they need is "but I'm just a poor college student so I don't have ______." I am guilty of using this phrase myself.  And who can doubt that this is true?

Oh bologna. Living in college is about choices.  Big ones like: Mac or PC?
Okay, that's not such a life changing decision.  How about Business major or Biology major?  On campus student or off campus?  Buy a car or buy another semester of classes?

Unfortunately, we are all still kids!  I don't care what the government says or what society says about becoming an adult, I truly believe we are still kids.  What do I know of living in the real world?  I have my meals, my friends, my job, my bank, and my classes all within walking distance.  What do I know of taxes and owning a house, running a business or cooking for a family?  I'm still a kid.  We are still kids.
This is why we get into trouble.  This is why we are poor, we haven't made enough of our own mistakes yet to learn that they are mistakes.  We still have our childish desires; I don't want to buy that book, I want to buy that movie trilogy that just came out in a DVD box set!  I don't like this old phone, I'm going to buy the new Iphone5 because it is so cool!  Look! Touch screen!
Who has taught us life skills?  If we are blessed, out parents teach us what they know and they prepare us as best they can for what is to come.  But society doesn't help a lick; society takes advantage of our inexperience.

Need money kids?  Have a credit card!  Have one already? Here is five more on us, just to be safe.  It will help you build your credit, so use it often!
Kids, you are an adult now, all those things your parents wouldn't let you have are now yours to buy!  Here we'll do you a favor and mark them up ten dollars and then say they are on sale 10% off! What a bargain!
Oh child, you don't have any fashion sense do you?  Here, come on over to our store, we have the best back to school clothes available just for you.

And who looks out for us: the small, vulnerable section of society?  No one, we are adults now.  Isn't it great!  All our life, so far, we dream about being in the real world and now that we are, well...
So we make our adult decisions, live our adult life, and be an adult.  We make mistakes, we learn from them (or don't), and we deal with the consequences.  That is truly what college is about.

So enjoy your Iphones if you must, your just-came-out laptops, your parties, your shopping trips, and your late-night food extravaganzas; but be wise about it. Please?

Is there anything special you usually request at a restaurant?

Whenever I go to a sit-down restaurant (which brings to mind something that others have told me is strange about myself, my family always calls places to go out to eat at, restaurants. They are therefore classified into fast-food restaurants or sit-down restaurants.. I guess that't not normal?), I sit down and check out the menu. It usually happens that I can't find a single thing that I would absolutely LOVE to eat; this could be from an indecisive nature or perhaps I am just too easygoing about what I like to eat.  I do like to order water; pop has lost all appeal for me anymore.  I personally think  its because I spent my teen years drinking every pop available until I cried carbonation and sugar. Anyways, I order water and if my father is with me, he orders limes (not lemons) with his water.  Its actually quite delicious, you should try it.
After ordering water, I try to pawn off half my meal with someone else and if I'm by myself, well, shed a tear for me.  If I am successful I let them order, if not I try to find something that would be delicious as leftovers (what can I say? I'm a poor college student and however many meals I can get out of this, the better!).  One rule that I always follow is never order anything with mushrooms.  I cannot stand the texture of mushrooms!  They are an awful, slimy food, and who wants to eat something classified as a fungus? Not me!  I do have to request that there are no green or red bell peppers in my food.  Its not that I don't like them (freshly cut with a little ranch is perfect!), its just that they don't like me; my throat will feel nice and raw and I will end up burping that oily flavor for the rest of the day.

Other than that, I simply proceed to order and eat.

Sometimes, the simplest things can brighten the whole day.

Today is yet another rainy day... sigh.  It's not that I don't like rain, I have many fond memories of racing Popsicle sticks down the curb while the rain gently patted my back as if to say, 'have fun my child, you are young and so you should enjoy life'.
On top of the rain, it is strangely cold; who let Fall come over?

The morning didn't start that bad, I woke up early.  I didn't do anything but glance at the window shade to get a sense of the hour by it's lightness.  I was immediately sure I was up too early.  I got ready for the day and somehow thought that shorts would be a good idea.  Sometimes, I amaze even myself.  After I walked upstairs I got a nice glimpse of what my day would be like: cold and windy.  After I raced across campus with my roommate, I sat in class thankful that I at least had grabbed a sweatshirt.
I sat there trying to stay awake while my enthusiastic professor tried to drill something into our brains.  I was too busy trying to not yawn.  When I did yawn it was usually at that moment that I knew I had to jerk myself awake, unfortunately my mind decided that I should make eye contact with the prof in order to do so.  I had quite a few awkward moments where my mouth was wide open as I made eye contact.  Needless to say, I was glad when that class was over.
The day never brightened but something in my schedule gave me a boost.  I was learning Shakespeare from a talented professor when he let us watch a movie.  Normally, that's when a person checks out.  I am not that person, I was immediately enthralled.  I spent the rest of the class period completely engaged in what we were learning.
After class I went about my duties (work and all that).  I was just finishing my office work when I realized it was raining outside...  So its now cold, windy, and rainy outside. I'm having great luck.  I walked out into the rain and realized that I still had another job to do.  Turning into the wind I walked to one of the farthest points from my dorm.  I arrived and the secretary welcomed me happily, it must have been a good day for her.  I accepted the paper she handed me and began to edit like a machine, but I couldn't!  I stared at the first sentence and read it again. Nothing.  I blinked a few times, tried to block out the world and tried again. This time I made it through the first paragraph before being halted once more.  It seemed my short burst to my attention span had run out.  I chatted a bit with some nearby students to clear my head momentarily and then tried reading again.  This time, it clicked in my head.
This guy was a good writer!  He didn't just tell me what happened, he showed me!  I couldn't stop reading then.  I drank each sentence in, searching for the meaning; I was always satisfied at the end.  When I finished,  I found the author himself and complimented him; I was truly impressed!  I cleared up the few questions he had and then went on my way.  Not entirely pleased with the day, but not displeased either.

I gathered my things and prepared to leave the library.  I glanced at the falling rain and was prepared to meet it when something else caught my eye.  There, at the door was a guy.  He had just approached the door himself and glanced back to see me.  I was still several steps away but nonetheless he opened the door and held it for me.
One thing.  One little thing and I was completely happy.  I smiled broadly at him and thanked the guy for his one little service.  I don't expect anything from this guy but it is nice to see men still have the decency to open a door for women.  He responded to my thanks and went on his way, probably thinking on other things again.
As for myself, I went walking in the rain with a smile on my face and a spring to my step.

And so it begins.

The second week of classes started with a nice jolt and yet I am unsatisfied.
I spent a summer debating with myself about one thing, do I take a piano class or private lessons.  Okay, so maybe this isn't such a big deal but I had a tough time deciding.  Perhaps a little more back story will help you understand.
I love to play the piano.  Period.  I have played the instrument for years. I started young with a very kind old lady who spent hours for many, many weeks trying to get me to keep my back straight and my wrists off of the piano.  I'm sure that my complaints were annoying at times, but she stuck with it bless her heart.  Then I moved and lost her wisdom.  I went through a period of many teachers who would teach me for a few weeks and decide that they had nothing new to teach me.  Of course, that made me feel good, but it did nothing to improve my skills.  After a few years, I gave up.  I played when I wanted to, but I didn't have any challenge so I didn't have anything to work at.  We eventually moved again and we had another chance, but by this time I was in the habit of not playing and I didn't want to start again.
Yet, something pulled me to the piano, its beauty and ability to sound like many parts at once called to me.  I began to play it all the time.  I played it when I needed space, I played it when I felt amazed but there was still one boundary... I had no idea how to make music on it, all I had was what music had been given to me over the years. Thus began my search for enlightenment.
I was a year or two away from college and my aunt taught me a few tricks about how to always make major chords.  I started trying to find those little tricks, but I didn't learn any more until I worked up the courage to take a piano class in college. Then I learned more than my brain could hold. I learned the circle of 5ths, I learned the rule about how to tell what key it is based on the clef and the sharps/flats.  I learned how to make minor chords with ease.  I was a learning machine!
Now, back to this summer.  Since I have learned so much in the piano classes, I still have a high probability of learning more in the next level of classes. But the next level of piano was known for focusing completely on a certain proficiency test to be certified for something or other that probably will never change your life.  Or I could spend $300+ for private piano lessons.  Mainly, I was debating whether the cost was worth it.  Long story short-I chose private piano.
And now why I am still unsatisfied: I haven't had a lesson yet.  I paid the money and was told to wait for an email telling me when I can start.  No email has arrived yet. I suppose that I am quite impatient... okay, I'm really impatient, its only been two weeks.

To summarize, I'm complaining.

Rain

So, yesterday was the first day of rain that us college students have experienced this year. I personally fought it most the day by wearing jackets and using an umbrella, yet I tried to enjoy it. I know that we probably won't get another rain the way this year has gone so far. Drought seems to be affecting everywhere except the hurricane-land in America. So as I walked from class to class I tried to smile and enjoy the cold, hard little bullets of water that hit my face.
As the day walked on I started to give up on the whole "let's stay dry" idea and simply put away my umbrella. The wind probably would have broken it anyways.  I went about my tasks with a cheery attitude. One of my tasks was getting a parking pass which was free before 4:00 pm yesterday.  Believe it or not I even enjoyed working.
However, by the time I had finished my duties for the day, I was perhaps slightly wound up.  I stood outside the office I work in and watched the rain beat the ground mercilessly.  It came in waves as the wind pushed it  to its own designs.  I suddenly had this loony idea... If I'm not worried about staying dry, why not enjoy the rain for all it's worth!  I glanced this way and that, no one was around.  Quickly I slipped off my flip-flops and hooked my keys onto the straps to keep them together.  Then with one last look around I took off.

There are times when running is just the right thing to do.  If you see an open field without cows in it and you know it hasn't been plowed yet, run through it!  Running like that for me, is the closest thing to being free.  I can escape the world with all its "progress" and go make my own way. To be running wherever you want without seen boundaries, its like a refreshing stretch that wakes you up after an hour or two of lecture.  This is what I felt yesterday.  I ran across campus barefoot and felt the small joy of release. Freedom.
By the time I reached my dorm I was soaking wet and quite cold, but I had a smile that barely fit my face.
Yesterday was a good day.