Yes Ma'm!!!

Yep!!! I did it!!! I even have a library card to prove it, besides the receipts, of course. What am I talking about??? I am officially enrolled, officially a student... AGAIN!!! I even started my financial investment to the educational system AGAIN... not cheap, that's for sure.

Last year, my one and only child graduated from college. His father and I helped him out from the beginning to the end. He did not have to work while going to school. He graduated without any debt to pay back. I have been kind of waiting around and see if he would come to his final decision of going back to school for his master's degree. He decided to wait a little while on that. He wants to be a little more stable in the "adult world". And when I heard that, I started thinking about me... remembering that the last time I was in school was in 1998 for my second bachelor in science degree - in nursing.

I have been checking around for programs. Two weeks ago, I emailed the director of a program and she emailed back with a response that I could be in the program that is starting August 20 if I drive up for the last orientation day which was 8 days ago. And I dragged a co-worker/friend with me to the wine country where the campus is at. It was amazing how things just evolved in seemingly whirlwind fashion. Before I knew it, I was accepted in the program at the end of that day in a promise that I will submit this and that paper work.

And so I bribed my ex-supervisors/friends to sign letters of recommendations for me. I started scribbling my essay. I looked for my college transcripts. All at the same time, I have been subjecting myself to several job interviews.I even started formulating some plans for my future life when school starts and some 1 1/2 jobs along with that. Yep, I can see me without any social life!!!

So, yesterday, after 2 hours and 45 minutes of driving in the ever so famous Bay Area traffic, I spent all day at the campus. And all those feelings came back. It might sound strange but I like that atmosphere, I like school, I like studying, I like the academia' deal. I did not mind at all that I was running back and forth to the book store, library, registration office, nursing department and all over the campus.

For the next two years I will be tackling my master's degree program... oh la la!!!

Animated me!!!

Can you imagine a world with only one personality wherein everyone thinks the same and behaves the same??? I must say that God does have a great sense of humor for creating the many personalities in all of us. Our differences are what make our lives interesting. The intermingling of these differences is what gives us the feelings of sadness, happiness, fulfillment, failures and many other "humanly" characteristics.

These humanly characteristics have been portrayed by the many cartoon characters out there that were made by great creative writers. Have you associated yourself with one of these cartoon characters???
I always have had great admiration for Eeyore. I don't consider him as a reflection of my own personality but this creation of A. A. Milne, shows us the negativism, resistance and fears of people. Eeyore, a character in Winnie the Pooh, has a wishy-washy kinda approach to life. He gives voice to the worst fears there are but makes one face possibilities that would rather be avoided. Eeyore notices if things don’t work out. His “I told you so” makes us see the price of the possibilities of "good".

Now, there is one character out there that carries many of my self-reflections... TINKERBELL!!! Tinkerbell was created by James M. Barrie, the British playwright and author of Peter Pan. Many versions exist of Tinkerbell, none are perceived as important as that created by Marc Davis (1913-2000) the famous animator at Disney in 1953.

Tinkerbell, the jealous fairy who glowed the brightest for Peter Pan. I have yet to find my Peter Pan and maybe show off my glow, but that is another story. I wonder how bright my glow can be when my Peter Pan comes along??? Hhhhmmmm??? Tinker Bell is a mender of pots and kettles, a tinker is a tin worker, and with her magic wand led Peter Pan through the ins and outs of Never Never Land which made her one of our greatest influences to search out and find, thus the name.

I can't say I am a mender but I do like to keep busy, always having projects at hand. I have been accused many times of having an affair with the mail man or the milk man or the UPS man because of the times I would rearrange the entire house and puzzling the other members of the household how I was able to move certain furniture or appliance in the house. I keep mum. Let them guess. Maybe a hunky on the side has been helping me... hehehe!!! NOT!!!

I guess the child in me is drawn to that " fantasy" that Tink exudes or represents... the sparkle, the unexpected flash of light, the speeding beam... uplifts me to that land of possibilities and good... the never ending hope and wishes. Many dreams still to be gotten. There is always an endless possibilities. Many Never, never land to reach and claim and rejoice about.

It took me a while to learn to focus ( I still have the struggle) on the positive sparkle of life. It is still hard to keep my wand directed to the pleasantries of life... but I am more aware and more appreciative. I guess the Eeyore side of my life taught me that. Life, God's sense of humor, the cartoon adventures in this Never, never land that we live in, had helped me quite a bit in finding my power to search for that which I can no longer have, keep me reminded that anything that can be believed and make-believe is real.

In my "mature" years I see myself more of a free spirit, like Tink. "She is what she is, says what she says and doesn’t give a care what others may think, and seems happy to tell people they are a silly a--. She does however endear herself to everyone in spite of her jealous ways and spiteful character. She would lay down her life for Peter and finds it difficult to compete with his attention to other adoring female company."

I think the only characteristic of Tink that I don't have or if I do have is the degree of jealousy. I am one to see with my own eyes first before being jealoused... and what I see has to be something outrageously outright for me to spend any energy or brain to that issue. Otherwise, it is not worth it. And if my Peter Pan is stupid enough to divert his attention then it is his lost and his character at stake... not mine.

Another side of Tinkerbell that I don't see in me is the vindictiveness and hatred... but then I have not been provoked that badly yet... hehehe!!!