It's Time

Okay, I think it's time to make my feelings on this issue known. I have held my tongue for a few years now, but I'm done. I think people assume that it doesn't bother me when they make comments or criticize me, or judge me. But let me say this: it does. What am I speaking about, you may ask. Well, I'll tell you.

Yes, I did go to college. For 4 years. Yes, I do have lots of school loans from going to college for those four years. Yes, I did learn a lot while I was in college. No. I don't have a college degree. Does that somehow make you better than me? Does that somehow make me inferior to you? Does that somehow give you the right to make fun of me and judge me? I wouldn't think so, but apparently it does.

There are many things that contributed to me not having a college degree. And perhaps instead of making fun of me, or judging me, you should ask me about those things. I am not trying to make excuses for why I don't have a degree or why I have $30,000+ in school loans and no degree, but I think it is only the polite thing to do to ask instead of judging.

Yes, I do have plans to go back and finish my degree. Yes, I do have a job right now that doesn't pay me hardly anything. No, I don't own a car, my own house or apartment. Yes, I do think those things are important, but do I think they are the be all, end all of life? NO!

While we are talking about the be all end all of things...do I think a degree is the be all end all of life? NO! Having a degree doesn't say anything about who I am as a person. It doesn't measure my intelligence, it doesn't measure my ability to care for others, and it certainly doesn't make you better than me.

This is just some food for thought for the people who may have been among the people that have done this. Just think about how the things you say about a person can effect their self esteem and their feelings of self worth.

A quote I read the other day that I think seems appropriate here: "Don't judge her. You don't know what storms I've asked her to walk through."

Bucket List

This is a list of some of the things I hope to accomplish in this life! Some of them I have already done, but I am hoping to make 2013 a year that I get to cross quite a few more of these off the list!

1. Go to Europe. More specifically Ireland and Italy.
2. Ride a motorcycle.
3. Get engaged.
4. Get married.
5. Have/adopt children.
6. Own a house
7. Watch The Lord of the Ring trilogy
8. Read Chronicles of Narnia
9. Go to a Browns game
10. Go bungee jumping
11. Go to Times Square for New Years Eve
12. See New York City at Christmas time
13. Own a new car
14. Get my degree
15. Be kissed at midnight on New Year's Eve
16. Beat Steve in Scrabble
17. Get bangs
18. Wear a bikini on my honeymoon
19. Skinny dip in the ocean
20. Be in two places at once
21. Get a tattoo
22. Own every season of ER, JAG, OTH, and SVU
23. Polar Plunge
24. Eat seafood & like it
25. Be a godmother
26. Be loved
27. Make a difference

I hope to add more to this list, as things come to me. For now, I think this is a good place to start!