It's amazing how much our lives are influenced by responsibility, circumstances beyond our control, and the little miracles that take place. I find myself contemplating the past circumstances beyond my control that has sparked little miracles to happen in my life. Of course, at the time those things I can't control are in no way thought of as something I enjoy; however, the results that follow make it less difficult to endure through.
In my first journal, I told how I had to quit school and work for a while. Well, it always seemed there was something keeping me from going back. Whether it was finances, my own fears, or a combination of the two I don't know. What I do know is that I wasn't progressing in life like I wanted. I wasn't working toward something. I was just surviving. That's all I could do at the time.
As you know, I've been in school since I've worked at UAB. However, it's different this time. This time it's going to be new to me. I'm finally a junior. I made it past sophomore status. I was a sophomore for 5+ years. That's my little miracle. All of the insecurities or circumstances that held me back I have overcome. I remember telling myself that if I just took that giant leap (going back to school), I would be unstoppable. As difficult as it has been to work full time while going to school, I have kept good grades and have finally surpassed sophomore status. It's a great accomplishment. Now it seems the light at the end of the tunnel is closer than my first foot in the door toward a new tomorrow. It was dark and almost non-existent. Not anymore.
A new day has come. I can do anything. I can get past the things that hold me back. I know that when that wonderful day comes where I will receive my degree, I will look back on the very beginning and be proud to say, "I did it when I could have given up!" So, there you have it. There are little miracles after all.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Introducing Me
I thought the first blog should consist of introductions.
My name is Sarah. I live in Birmingham, Alabama and go to The University of Alabama at Birmingham. I'm majoring in Graphic Design working toward my BFA degree. There are many reasons I have chosen my major. It took seven changes before I finally figured it out, but who's counting? Ha ha. One of the main reasons, which I think is the most important, is that I love art. It's my passion. I find myself doodling all the time. I've been in a couple art classes and have definitely found a calm reassurance that I've chosen the right path for my career.
I guess I'll take you back about 7 years or so on how I got to where I am today. It's a good story, I believe, so sit back and enjoy.
When I graduated high school, I got a softball scholarship and immediately found myself in college. I was 19 years old, supposedly fearless and ready to face the college world. I had no idea what I was doing. It was exciting. Most importantly for me, it was now my time to answer to myself rather than dealing with the constant supervision of my mother. I ended up doing really well, considering most freshman have to adjust. I did have a lot on my plate, so when one event caused a crash, it changed my world forever. I tore my ACL. I had to have surgery right away because I was determined to get back to the usual playing softball and keeping my dream alive. However, when it was more difficult than I had anticipated, it felt like my life was over. I had to learn to walk all over again. Although I had more time to spend concentrating on my studies, I thought softball was everything. I was crushed. I didn't go back to that school the next year. Instead, I ended up going a semester at a community college, taking a few classes to keep up with the college life. It didn't take long for me to realize I needed a change.
I bought a one-way ticket to Las Vegas, which is my hometown. I was born and raised there, so that's all I knew until the age of 16. When I was 16, Alabama became my home. At first, I thought it would be a great opportunity to start over. Little did I realize that Alabama left an emptiness in me that to this day hasn't returned. It took the part of me that didn't care what people thought, my sense of adventure, determination, even confidence. I adjusted to what I had to adjust to, but always felt like Vegas was more my home. So, I found a way to get back to Vegas. I was 21 years old, didn't have a job, a car, or much money to live off of. But, I did have a place to live. It took me almost a year to find a decent job that would pay rent. It was humiliating though, because it was at McDonald's. I felt like I my accomplishments thus far were no longer valid. I had to do what I had to do to survive, but sometimes survival takes a lot out of a person. I still hadn't recovered what was lost when I first left Vegas. I rode a hand-me-down bike back and forth to work, and could barely feed myself. I ended up getting a sales job that made life even harder. I thought it would be a great opportunity to make good money. I never took into account the hard work that went into it. I traveled a minimum of 25 miles a day, on bike, in order to make appointments. I'm not sure if you've ever been to Vegas, but it was in the middle of July, hot as cookies right out the oven. I don't know how I made it, but with the determination I had to survive it wasn't hard to keep the focus. Plus, it was a great work out.
I could continue to give great detail as to how that all turned out, but I'll keep that part a mystery for now. I'll just tell you the end results. My hard work paid off. I ended up selling $3,500 worth of merchandise in less than a month while on my bike. They called me Wheels. I left there feeling accomplished again, feeling confident again. After winning an interview for a state job working for WIC (Women, Infants, and Children), I finally found stability. It was a great job that I struggled with at first, but came up on top after two years. After awhile, my need to change once again had creeped in. I realized that I was ready to move on, and needed to finish what I started. I needed to go back to school. The schools in Vegas left much to be desired, so I did the only thing that made sense. I moved back to Alabama. Well, it only made sense because I have family there. It's good to have family around when you're struggling. However, it's even better to have family around period. I missed them and needed them more than I ever thought I could.
Now I'm to the present. I am 27 years old, and definitely a bit more prepared than when I was a 19 year old freshman. I struggled a little bit when I first got to Alabama. I became a little depressed having to come back to a place I never felt at peace with myself. I was struggling to find a job to help me get back to school, and I really hated living with my parents again. I had the wrong attitude. For some reason, Alabama brings out the worse in me. Maybe it's the idle, laid back feel of the environment. It may always remain a mystery as to the effects Alabama has on me. All I know is I needed something to help me get out from under my parents. I needed to become stable again. I was able to find something that would help me with my goals. I landed a temporary job with UAB. It was only two months into the temporary job, when my supervisor wanted to hire me. I have been working for UAB for over three years now, going to school practically free. It's almost surreal to think about not too long ago, I was riding my bike in order to pay rent. And now, I'm living on my own, driving a car that's mine, going to school, and working toward a degree I really enjoy. I'm only able to go to school part time, but at least I'm doing something I could spend a lifetime doing. As far as finding what I first lost when I was 16, it still remains hidden; however, I'll continue to search for that part of me. I will continue to move on as I always do to survive. Life's too short to worry all the time about the past and what I should have done. I guess I've just come to accept that there's some things you can't change right away, but at least you're striving to change them. It's the effort in the act that just might cause a metamorphosis of accomplishment.
That's my story in a nut shell. Stayed tune for future entries of my babblings.
My name is Sarah. I live in Birmingham, Alabama and go to The University of Alabama at Birmingham. I'm majoring in Graphic Design working toward my BFA degree. There are many reasons I have chosen my major. It took seven changes before I finally figured it out, but who's counting? Ha ha. One of the main reasons, which I think is the most important, is that I love art. It's my passion. I find myself doodling all the time. I've been in a couple art classes and have definitely found a calm reassurance that I've chosen the right path for my career.
I guess I'll take you back about 7 years or so on how I got to where I am today. It's a good story, I believe, so sit back and enjoy.
When I graduated high school, I got a softball scholarship and immediately found myself in college. I was 19 years old, supposedly fearless and ready to face the college world. I had no idea what I was doing. It was exciting. Most importantly for me, it was now my time to answer to myself rather than dealing with the constant supervision of my mother. I ended up doing really well, considering most freshman have to adjust. I did have a lot on my plate, so when one event caused a crash, it changed my world forever. I tore my ACL. I had to have surgery right away because I was determined to get back to the usual playing softball and keeping my dream alive. However, when it was more difficult than I had anticipated, it felt like my life was over. I had to learn to walk all over again. Although I had more time to spend concentrating on my studies, I thought softball was everything. I was crushed. I didn't go back to that school the next year. Instead, I ended up going a semester at a community college, taking a few classes to keep up with the college life. It didn't take long for me to realize I needed a change.
I bought a one-way ticket to Las Vegas, which is my hometown. I was born and raised there, so that's all I knew until the age of 16. When I was 16, Alabama became my home. At first, I thought it would be a great opportunity to start over. Little did I realize that Alabama left an emptiness in me that to this day hasn't returned. It took the part of me that didn't care what people thought, my sense of adventure, determination, even confidence. I adjusted to what I had to adjust to, but always felt like Vegas was more my home. So, I found a way to get back to Vegas. I was 21 years old, didn't have a job, a car, or much money to live off of. But, I did have a place to live. It took me almost a year to find a decent job that would pay rent. It was humiliating though, because it was at McDonald's. I felt like I my accomplishments thus far were no longer valid. I had to do what I had to do to survive, but sometimes survival takes a lot out of a person. I still hadn't recovered what was lost when I first left Vegas. I rode a hand-me-down bike back and forth to work, and could barely feed myself. I ended up getting a sales job that made life even harder. I thought it would be a great opportunity to make good money. I never took into account the hard work that went into it. I traveled a minimum of 25 miles a day, on bike, in order to make appointments. I'm not sure if you've ever been to Vegas, but it was in the middle of July, hot as cookies right out the oven. I don't know how I made it, but with the determination I had to survive it wasn't hard to keep the focus. Plus, it was a great work out.
I could continue to give great detail as to how that all turned out, but I'll keep that part a mystery for now. I'll just tell you the end results. My hard work paid off. I ended up selling $3,500 worth of merchandise in less than a month while on my bike. They called me Wheels. I left there feeling accomplished again, feeling confident again. After winning an interview for a state job working for WIC (Women, Infants, and Children), I finally found stability. It was a great job that I struggled with at first, but came up on top after two years. After awhile, my need to change once again had creeped in. I realized that I was ready to move on, and needed to finish what I started. I needed to go back to school. The schools in Vegas left much to be desired, so I did the only thing that made sense. I moved back to Alabama. Well, it only made sense because I have family there. It's good to have family around when you're struggling. However, it's even better to have family around period. I missed them and needed them more than I ever thought I could.
Now I'm to the present. I am 27 years old, and definitely a bit more prepared than when I was a 19 year old freshman. I struggled a little bit when I first got to Alabama. I became a little depressed having to come back to a place I never felt at peace with myself. I was struggling to find a job to help me get back to school, and I really hated living with my parents again. I had the wrong attitude. For some reason, Alabama brings out the worse in me. Maybe it's the idle, laid back feel of the environment. It may always remain a mystery as to the effects Alabama has on me. All I know is I needed something to help me get out from under my parents. I needed to become stable again. I was able to find something that would help me with my goals. I landed a temporary job with UAB. It was only two months into the temporary job, when my supervisor wanted to hire me. I have been working for UAB for over three years now, going to school practically free. It's almost surreal to think about not too long ago, I was riding my bike in order to pay rent. And now, I'm living on my own, driving a car that's mine, going to school, and working toward a degree I really enjoy. I'm only able to go to school part time, but at least I'm doing something I could spend a lifetime doing. As far as finding what I first lost when I was 16, it still remains hidden; however, I'll continue to search for that part of me. I will continue to move on as I always do to survive. Life's too short to worry all the time about the past and what I should have done. I guess I've just come to accept that there's some things you can't change right away, but at least you're striving to change them. It's the effort in the act that just might cause a metamorphosis of accomplishment.
That's my story in a nut shell. Stayed tune for future entries of my babblings.
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