Hello 24.
So scared of getting older
I’m only good at being young
So I play the numbers game to find a way to say that life has just begun
Had a talk with my old man
Said help me understand
He said turn 68,
you’ll renegotiate
Don’t stop this train
Don’t for a minute change the place you’re in
Don’t think I couldn’t ever understand
I tried my hand
John, honestly we’ll never stop this train
John Mayer, Stop this Train
Today I am a year older. A year wiser? Perhaps. This year has certainly not been without it’s share of stretching moments. I have grown up more in my year of being 23 than in any year prior. I suppose that’s what living on your own, in the ‘real world’ does to one. But I admit that I’m sad to see 23 go. It has been an incredible year and I would relive it again & again.
When I started this blog I struggled to decide what I would name it…the theme over the past year of my life has been just that, I’m scared of getting older. While I got an amazing education at the Purdue University, no one prepares you e to struggle through your first big disagreement at work, or really budget when you’re living on your first salary, or all the details that come with buying your first home (mine’s been in the works a year and I still feel clueless). I’ve finally gotten good at being young. So now what? I’m 24. Who defines old? I feel so much older than I did at 21 or 22. I’m out of school, out of debt, and out of Indiana. I’m self aware, self sufficient, and self confident (usually).
The question remains now, am I still scared to get older? Sometimes. When I think that getting older comes with losing loved ones and leaving behind the carefree ways of youth. I’ve given up much of my childish ways but I’ve got a few I’m not ready too. I never want to be too old to curl up with my Daddy, even if I have to watch golf! I never want to outgrown watching movies with my parents and making my Momma scratch my back. I refuse to believe I’ll ever be too old to lay on top of my baby sister while she’s trying to ignore me and watch TV because she doesn’t like to be cuddled. I will never be too old to make mixed CDs of radio songs and drive around singing with my Rae.
A & B
Just a little history. Alyssa & I (Becca) were potluck roommates our freshman year at Purdue University. Boy did Shreve Hall get more than they bargained for with us! We had a great floor of girls though and many of the people we met living in the dorms are still friends of ours today! Hey A, do I have your permission to post the original e-mail you sent me when we got our assignment? Or at least a few of the 23482390 pics you sent me of yourself?
A called me the week after we got our assignments and asked me the funniest set of questions I’ve been asked to date. Including if I were a lesbian and if I tended to steal other peoples things. While valid questions, a little deep for the first convo, eh Lys? She later admitted that after our conversation when I told her I moved frequently because my Dad is an NFL football coach – she googled me. Bringing up the most unfortunate picture that’s ever been taken of my family and remains on a charity website – still haunting me today!
She might have had the better set of questions but I think I win the award for getting comfortable too fast. I HATE sleeping in pjs as I find them to be incredibly restricting so on the first or second night of living together I asked her if she cared if I slept in my undies. Ha, sorry A – I probably could have stuck out the first week!
Our year as roommates sure was an interesting one. I still cringe at how filthy that room got – which I take 99% of the responsibility for. The other 1% I give to A for buying plants that grew very strange fungus within about 2 days. I’m still a little baffled by that. I think whatever sorority sold you those plants still owes you your money back!
We were most famous amongst our hall for our collection of Beta fish. This unfortunate trend came about during one of many late night walmart runs during which we felt sorry for the fish kept in Tupperware on the shelves. We bought two. After that day, we bought one every time we went to Walmart for over a month (which added up to…8? 12? I can’t even remember now) and since they couldn’t live together they were placed all over our room in vases that were supposed (note: supposed) to be cleaned weekly. I’m a little ashamed to say I think we flushed all the remaining ones just in time for Spring Break! Poor Betas…Florida was more important to us.
I really should get back to work on some things but I would like to end this entry on life in the dorms (which I’m guessing Alyssa will have some additions too) by saying that our RA was a strange one. She targeted A & I from the very beginning and begged us to help her with all of her weekly duties. A contributed some artistic abilities to the boards int he hallway. I got nominated for some kind of office for our hall – but never bothered to attend a meeting. So my main contribution to the year was holding back drunk girls hair while they puked in the bathroom (I believe I’m still owed a few favors from this – perhaps I should start collecting).
Anyway, our RA would come knocking on doors before all the events she was required to throw. None of these events got either of us excited and so, we devised a plan to get out of them. We would turn off all the lights and lock our door and hide until we were POSITIVE she had left to go wherever it was she wanted us to. Then we’d turn our lights back on and go about our night.
Oh Lys, I love you. I miss some of those moments!
B
Ps: Thanks for doing my eye makeup every day for 3 months because I liked yours better than mine. I still owe you a few.
