Want Fries With That?

Despite my threats from yesterdays blog, I'm not going to talk about my socks, string cheese or fruit. But this morning, as I was complaining to someone about doing all the silly things I had to do today, a thought occurred to me about life. Well, not life in general. My life really. Or anyone my age who is facing graduation and all the decisions that come with it.

The first 5 or 6 years of your life are spent learning how to walk, talk, feed yourself, use the bathroom appropriately and dress yourself. There are probably some other manner type things thrown in there but that's basically it. Then you go to school. There you learn how to color inside the lines with big fat crayons (how ridiculous is that!), cut with blunt edge scissors, read, write, obey rules, and play well with others. And we spend 13+ years .. month after long month doing that. And why? I mean, there must be a reason. Supposedly it's so we can be educated and better citizens and contribute to society in some meaningful way. And that may be true. And it's now April of my senior year and there is an end in sight. Two more months and I'm done!! woot!! But wait.. it's not over yet.

Because somewhere into the 12th year of this education, "they" begin preparing you for the next phase. ACT's, SAT's, college catalogs, campus visits, and finally applications and essays. Hours upon hours of your senior year is spent filling in blanks and making decisions. I actually only applied to 5 schools. Each one for different reasons. They are all far enough away from home that I'll have to live there. Dorm living could be a whole blog rant so I'll save that for another day. Still application to 5 schools was a lengthy process!

Then finally about a month ago, I started getting letters of acceptance. Phew! Relief. I might not be doomed to a life of asking "would you like fries with that". But now more decisions. Acceptance to only one choice, might have left me feeling unwanted but the process of selection would have been avoided. I still haven't made a final decision but it occurred to me today when I was complaining about the never-ending boredom of obligation and responsibility that I have done all of this for the privilege of paying an institution $40,o00+ a year to work my butt off for the next four years. Irony.

Story of my life.