Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Is it too late to drop out of school?

I have returned for my fourth and final year here at NMU. Haven't heard of it? That's because it's in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, which for most is a land over the rainbow, never ever to be trespassed. And I commend you for this decision. I, however, made a different decision. I signed away my life to the tundra for four consecutive years. This place has the most beautiful falls, but unfortunately the fall season lasts all of 3 1/2 days...and then...the snow comes. It comes and comes and never ever stops. When I leave in May there will be piles of snow litering the parking lots, but I'm ok with that. I'm ok with the ten degree temperature drop between Illinois and Marquette. I'm ok with the fact that in three weeks I'll be scraping snow off of my windshield. I'm even ok with 90% of the radio stations being all country all the time (ok I'm not completely ok with that).
What I'm not ok with is the fact that I leave my apartment everyday around 9:45am and I don't walk back through my door until 8 or 9pm. I'm not ok with the fact I haven't been able to read more than 3 pages of my Laurie Notaro book since I got up here. Furthermore, I'm not ok with the idea that while I'm sitting here typing this blog entry I can't stop thinking about all the things I should be doing to prepare for my next day of classes. I literally loathe the fact that I have not yet finished my educational experience. I am not a normal college student. Normal college students look foward to their return to school all summer long. They love being at school. They can't stand the idea of graduating, and refuse to have it mentioned in their presence. I, on the otherhand, dream of dropping out everyday. I dream of a wonderful alternate existence where people are born with all the knowledge they need, and there is no need to drill it into them. In this magical place all one needs to be successful is a desire. If you desire to write books, that's all you need to worry about. There's no concern about whether people will buy your books or not, it's a given, it will happen. You do not need to wonder if you've had the right education to make you credible (in other words, that you've spent the last 3+ years studying in the medical field, and now you're far more interested in writing novels), your livelihood will be guaranteed. This is, by the way, no reflection of my own current situation.
Unfortunately this alternate universe does not exist, or if it does, I have not yet figured out how to cross over to it. In the mean time I have two options in front of me.
1) Find my rich doctor so earning a living is no longer necessary
2) Turn to a life of crime or something similar which allows me to write and have an income at the same time.
Or I guess I could just finish my undergrad, complete my two years of grad school, get certified as a PA and stop my bitching. I do, after all, generally enjoy this field.
And to all my devoted readers (yes all half a dozen of you) if you're thinking, "When did Bridget turn into such a ranting, bitter, super wench? Why doesn't she just go back to ridiculing idiotic people?" Well I'd love to, I really would. But I spend my days now in classes like Organic Chemistry and Exercise Physiology and when put into perspective I'm probably the biggest idiot in the room.
Because you've been so patient though, I will leave you with this alarming piece of information. My sister Aimee and her fiancé Tom have officially decided on "Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy" as their entrance song into the reception. Now Aimee and Tom, I'm not at all suggesting this makes you idiotic, simply just the delusional "I can't remember, was I born in Nashville?" type I mentioned in my hoedown bashing entry. Love you!

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Don't worry, no country for the wedding party. I've been promised Blackeyed Peas, and I swear if I hear that slightest twang as I prepare to enter the reception, I'm turning right around.

Anonymous said...

What exactly are they trying to imply by using that song as their entrance song? I shutter at the thought