XXIII. This is Just Another Phase of Life -

My father told me this while we were in the car. I had become nostalgic while we were driving along the route that is still so familiar to me - it was the route that the NYC bus I had taken to get from my high school to home.

I thought about what my dad had said.

                    “This is just another phase of life - ”

“Phases” seemed to me to be temporary and non-cumulative chunks of time.

My dad can’t be right though it would benefit us all if he were.

I always thought life was cumulative.

(* NOTE: In my attempt at articulating the next part, I used the phrase, chunks of time, a total of 6 times, + 1 additional chunk.)

To think that life is made up of chunks of time that can be isolated would be somewhat of a boon…so long as we still have memory of all the chunks of time that have passed.That is to say, if a certain chunk of time was not similar to Mr. Roger’s alternate universe- (carefree, disciplined, preppy, and all around swell)- then, to be able to isolate this not-so-swell chunk of time and make a distinct separation between it and a better chunk of time, would be very very nice/kind of creepy. Furthermore, to not have to forget what happened in any chunk of time even after isolating  said chunks, so that you would not have a gaping hole of nothingness, would be even better/it would eliminate the creepy factor.  

Attempt at simplification of the above:

(ISOLATING CHUNKS OF TIME, thereby reducing the cumulative meshing of bad and good eperiences + (NO LOSS OF MEMORY) = :) aka a happy camper.

I suppose my dad is right though -

High School was one phase of my life as I am sure it was or is (if you’re still in high school), for you.

It was indeed a distinct chunk of time that I can isolate now in my memory. At the same time, it still remains as part of my cumulative experience of life thus far.

My weird, odd, and mythical-like high school that one had to apply to in a college-like process, made me physically exhausted and intellectually stretched.

Since the high school chunk of time, however, I have learned to critically analyze, question, resist, without being willing to compromise (which is not the best trait to inherit but there you go), I can say that I actually know the Spanish language, and I could say that I learned Latin (can’t lie and say I know it like I do Spanish)….not to mention that Phys. Ed. resulted in me having a toned body that could match any non-Olympic level, but still pretty good, female gymnast.

My dad could be wrong though…

It doesn’t seem like college is a phase.

No - this Ivy produces a villian-esque monologue that reverberates in the ears of all who walk upon it’s campus and goes along the lines of:

                  “I am now an inseparable part of you. I will forever be on your resume and be hanging on your future house or office wall in the form of a diploma - muahhahhaha.”

Today I went to my college adviser to figure out what classes to take next semester. It was unlike my other trips to the College Office. I circled “Sr” aka *senior status*, on my walk-in appointment slip.

Going into the adviser’s office today, I wasn’t crying- crying was a familiar sight over the past three years. No, I was not crying. In fact, I think I was smiling.

I wasn’t deciding whether or not to drop a class/classes, nor was I contemplating upon possible schedules for the upcoming years, nor was I brainstorming ideas for how to prevent possible slippage of my G.P.A.

No - The adviser and I only discussed how I just needed one more class to graduate and that I could take as little as one more class in whatever discipline I so desired; the class/classes did not even have to be graded.

My dad is right after all….

Suddenly, after the completion of next semester, it seems that college would qualify as a “phase” of life.

Seniors- we still have to complete this semester without adversely damaging our G.P.A.s beyond repair…. This may just be own mental note-to-self in which case you can disregard this - unless of course it applies to you.

Here’s to the post-graduation phases = More School (elsewhere) + Marriage (hopefully yo… I already planned the shopping trip schedule/food/cake) + Maternal Time (permitting the marriage part happens) + other happy happy joy joy moments.

Holler at your homefry -