Things Change
It occurred to me today that everything will be just fine.
Today, by all rights, should have been stressful. My printer broke last night, leaving me with a grad school application that needed to be printed. I figured that I could just pop over to campus this morning and print out the documents. I was mistaken. It seems they have not connected the printers in the computer labs yet. And so, I was a bit stranded. I wanted to mail this application today, because I want it there by Friday so that I can qualify for a Fellowship.
Four weeks ago, if this had happened, I would have been on the verge of a nervous breakdown. But today, I actually accepted that there was nothing I could do. And I went home. I made lunch. And I watched the final two episodes of Sports Night. In short, I relaxed. And, thanks to good friends, I was able to buy a new printer this afternoon and will be able to mail out my application tomorrow and still make the Friday deadline.
I also returned a $30 USB cable to Best Buy because, as it turns out, I didn’t need it. And instead of using that extra $30 to buy something frivolous, I walked out of Best Buy. I really wanted to buy something, anything. A new CD, or maybe another DVD. But I didn’t. For the first time ever (and I mean this literally), I left Best Buy without buying anything frivolous.
These may not seem like big things to anyone else. But to me, they are proof that this semester is going to be different. I’m going to be calmer. I’m going to be more thrifty. Things are improving.
Today, by all rights, should have been stressful. My printer broke last night, leaving me with a grad school application that needed to be printed. I figured that I could just pop over to campus this morning and print out the documents. I was mistaken. It seems they have not connected the printers in the computer labs yet. And so, I was a bit stranded. I wanted to mail this application today, because I want it there by Friday so that I can qualify for a Fellowship.
Four weeks ago, if this had happened, I would have been on the verge of a nervous breakdown. But today, I actually accepted that there was nothing I could do. And I went home. I made lunch. And I watched the final two episodes of Sports Night. In short, I relaxed. And, thanks to good friends, I was able to buy a new printer this afternoon and will be able to mail out my application tomorrow and still make the Friday deadline.
I also returned a $30 USB cable to Best Buy because, as it turns out, I didn’t need it. And instead of using that extra $30 to buy something frivolous, I walked out of Best Buy. I really wanted to buy something, anything. A new CD, or maybe another DVD. But I didn’t. For the first time ever (and I mean this literally), I left Best Buy without buying anything frivolous.
These may not seem like big things to anyone else. But to me, they are proof that this semester is going to be different. I’m going to be calmer. I’m going to be more thrifty. Things are improving.