Ever since I have started this project, I have been worried about one thing: what will happen to it if I can’t find something to smile about for some days of the week? I almost found out this week – but lo and behold, I made the important discovery that there is something to smile about even on extraordinarily stressful days, even if that something is only that the day is over and I’m still alive. The stressors are talking about below are kind of unique to my situation, but I believe the broader lesson is applicable here: there is always a bright side to look at. I don’t know how successful I was this week, but you can judge for yourself below.
Monday, May 27, 2019
- Today is Memorial Day in the US, so of course a made the best possible use of my holiday time and slept in. I always have mixed feelings about this after the fact, but at the time I was sleeping in, I did enjoy the rest.
- After a hair-raising couple of days in which I couldn’t log into my new student account for my Masters degree, I discovered that the deactivation was temporary while they cleared my paperwork. I smiled when I found that out, but it was relief more than anything else.
Tuesday, May 28, 2019
- There was no movie night tonight, but Netflix proved to have some promising new material. “Queen of the South” has new episodes on. A Thriller about drugs and politics in the Mexican cartels, what’s not to like? Just be aware that you will need to read a lot of subtitles if you don’t speak Spanish.
Wednesday, May 29, 2019
- I was on my own for dinner tonight. Normally the frozen meals I have in these circumstances are not very memorable, but tonight was a major exception! Trader Joe’s Stout pie was absolutely wonderful, giving me a smile that I totally wasn’t expecting.
Thursday, May 30, 2019
- Some days you just have to be glad when an ordeal is over. I was on the phone most of the day trying to figure out why I haven’t been approved for an appointment at a clinic to get a fitting for a new wheelchair. At least I was able to crown the day by getting an appointment with my doctor to get some of the necessary paperwork redone. At least something useful came out of it. I guess I can smile about that.
Friday, May 31, 2019
- I must have really needed the rest from yesterday, because I slept in again. I am happy there were no phone calls today.
Saturday, June 1, 2019
- It has finally sank in that my time in academia is not quite over yet. Normally, I would consider the stuff that I did today pretty boring. But I noticed something. Ever since the acceptance letter came in, I have been feeling steadily more optimistic about my career prospects than I have in several months. Skimming over possible class subjects and researching various career paths was actually making me smile.
Sunday, June 2, 2019
- Today was a big day in a quiet sort of way. Yes! I finally stopped waffling and signed up for my classes. I didn’t have to wait-list anything either, which is making me smile beyond words. It’s nice to know that after having such a stressful week, something is actually going well.
- This is a side point, but something that made me smile about process of signing up for classes was how comparatively streamlined it was against any previous experience I have ever had. Cal State Long Beach knows how to make a good first impression with choosing your classes. Their course planner is by far the best I have ever seen. Figuring out which classes are necessary to graduate is not always an easy task, so I can appreciate the technical challenge that went into creating a system that makes it so painless. Way to go Long Beach!
I have noticed that the essay prompts for grad school apps are more generalized than they are for undergrad…