*BEWARE* Loooong post….

Another rainy day. At least it’s not snowing!
     Just got back from Buddy Reading (weekly
reading session with a third-grader at nearby Williams Elementary) and
I’m just a little sad because I’m going to miss my little third-grader,
Sammy! Strangely enough, I do remember being that age (and all the
“trials” that came with it….multiplication and division, mainly) and
it’s just wonderful to spend time with her each week.
    I’m also going to be late to Figure Drawing because
I’m making this entry. I think I’m getting tired of going to
class….not that class in particular, though. I still enjoy my art
classes, but when it comes to Latin and even English–some days it
takes a lot for me to “get excited” about going. Especially since I
know that it’s only going to be an hour and a half of dry lecture about
books that I would really love to just *discuss*. Who would have known
that college English courses would be a step behind high school??? I’m
sure Somerville can do better….which is why I’m taking him next
semester too. We’ll see what happens.
     Karen and I had a great chat last night about
how much has happened this year and about how weird it is to think
about the people we know and spend time with now and where they were at
the beginning of the year, or where we first met them. It is VERY
strange how many people we saw/met at the IV retreat and we didn’t
really get to know them until later on in ths year. Not only that, but
I have a doubly weird experience because some of the people I know
intimately now, I met for the first time 2 years ago when I first
visited Giles here. It is so odd to think of my initial impression of
them (from two years ago) and to think of how much better I know them
now, and how my impressions have changed. I don’t think any have
changed in a bad way, per se, but they have all certainly *changed*.
That’s one of the major parts of college that I have struggled with and
I believe (Lord-willing) am finally coming to grips with. The
“C-word”…..CHANGE. I never realized until I came to college how
dependent I am on familiarity and regularity. There are things about
college (social aspects mainly) that I have NEVER experience before and
having to deal with them has been the most challenging thing I’ve come
up against this year–definitely more challenging than academics.
Academics have always been something I can handle–something familiar.
Meeting new people, living in close proximity with people other than
family members–that is a new thing. Perhaps it is for everyone, but I
feel like it was more so for me because the distance between my home
and my school was so large. It’s amazing how that affected my life. NOT
in a bad way. If anything, I am most grateful for the way my parents
decided to raise me–separating school, church, family life, social
<what there was of it…>. But as much as I have enjoyed this
first year of college, I am REALLY looking forward to being home for
summer. I need the break…not just from academics, but in every other
aspect. It’s like Home now is the “refresher course” on where I
stand–on everything that is familiar and close to my heart. Thank God
for all those blessings! I can’t wait to get home again. 🙂 (I
can….but I’m glad it’s only a couple of weeks away)