When I look at life, I’m always so optimistic. I am naively cheerful about the silver lining that I’m so sure is on its way. Maybe that makes me a joy to be around or maybe it just makes me a pain in the ass. Take this year for starters, I didn’t really want to leave home and then I have to fly back to Chicago for school. I get here and for two weeks I get nothing but the run around from financial aid which really is no aid at all. It would be more aptly named, financial pain in my ass. I finally get the administrative block off of my account. Then I have twenty-four hours to register for six classes, get twelve signatures and all the proper forms submitted and approved by the dean to be re-enrolled. I feel it would be appropriate to point out that I had already enrolled. Due to some clerical error I was removed from all of my classes, so all of this could have been avoided. Though I did everything on my end to assure this did not happen, apparently someone else did not. I settle for four classes I like. Then I think I’ll catch up, I’ll get on track.
I go to buy books. I realize that I probably will not make it through another month when financial pain in my ass will put another block on my account and have me kicked out of my classes. Optimistic I know, but for the time being I’m set, I’m ready, everything is great and then I get sick. Too sick to read, or move, or think about homework but I still do it. I’m up working until one in the morning. Then I get sicker, until I get better. Once I am healed I head off to the library to get my work done. I’m at the library for a good four hours when I realize my wallet has been stolen. Someone has taken all of my personal items and stolen my identity and yet I am taking it in stride. Now I have to tell my roommates that I cannot join them on our planned trip to the University of Kentucky for the weekend because I have no wallet, no credit card and no way of paying my own way.
I wake up in the morning to the roommates excitedly packing. As they debate on what to wear, I file my police report. I explain to the officer on duty that all of my medical, financial and personal identification and my cell phone have been stolen. When enquiring as to the value of said phone, she bursts out laughing when I tell her I paid $15 for it. Apparently this is hysterical at 8 a.m. on a Friday morning at the police station. I go over my story again with campus police. Much to my chagrin I will again be featured in the student paper for something stupid, damn eager underaged investigative reporters.
I must face my roommates and explain that although I would love to share in their adventures, I must now stay home by myself to try to resolve this minor crisis. Only they don’t accept no for an answer. Julie tells me I’m going to Kentucky, no questions asked. I’ll pay her back whenever I can and if I can’t then I won’t and she doesn’t care either way. She’s not getting stuck in a car by herself with Karen for over ten hours. I can do my homework on the drive down, which I’m sure you all know doesn’t happen. I’m too busy singing ‘The Devil Went Down to Georgia’ to notice. I have a brilliant time. I meet great people, we attend fun parties, I kiss new boys and we go to exciting sporting events. All in all my faith in humanity and my positive outlook has been shaken but inevitably is renewed. I can finally see why I’m always so damn cheerful, because despite all evidence to the contrary, things can always get better even when they seem to be worse.
