The Year of the Jolls
One year ago today I was living in Grand Rapids on my Dad's rental property. He had moved in with is new wife and allowed me to stay there until the lease expired on Oct 25th. On that night I walked over the a neighborhood tobacco place and bought a cigar as I usually do on special occasions such as B-Days and closing night performances. On my walk back I started to look closely at my life. It was my 25th birthday and I was born during the Reagan years at a time when a child's life expectancy was projected to be about 75 years. This ment that I was approaching the end of my first trimester of life. It gave me pause to think, "What have I done with my life? What memorable things have I been a part of? What kind of accomplishments have I made in these years? Have I squandered my time away?"
I looked at my past and those around me. I have friends whom graduated years after me who already had a Bachelor's Degree, families, and an established life. I knew people who were in my youth group as a kid teaching at the International University in Beijing. I saw that I had spent hours playing video games, hanging out with friends, watching TV, and generally doing nothing with my life. I still lived with my Dad's assistance and was unable to provide even the most basic of my needs. I looked at my life and I saw how disappointing it was to myself and I was determined to regret nothing.
So I prayed and made a declaration to between me and God that this was going to be The Year of the Jolls. That this would be a year to remember for all time and redeem my ineffectual years and be something 50 years from now that I can look back and be proud of. Little did I know how much of that would actually come true:
I had been going to college since 2000 and spent most of the time there goofing off as I changed my major 7 times. I was at a community college for every year except for one, meaning that I had spent 6 years of my life "learning" and still had not received my two-year degree. I enrolled into the classes that I needed to finally graduate and even found myself a fantastic on campus job that was able to help me move out and to pay my rent and food bills while I was still in class. On Summer of 2007, an Associates Degree was mailed to my apartment.
While at the college an opportunity had come to me to do a study abroad program in Ireland. I had always wanted to go to Europe, especially since I had now decided to become a HS History teacher. I wanted to go to England, France, Italy, and Greece to experience what I would eventually end up teaching my students. I signed up, and maxed out my financial aid so that I could go to Ireland for three weeks then spend another 5 in Europe. I only made it through Ireland, France, and Monaco before my money ran out but I made it out there and made it back with an experience that can never be replicated.
When I returned I was searching for a 4 year college to continue on with my degree and go on with my schooling. I wanted to go to a school that would give me a high quality of educational teaching that would be recognizable in more places than simply here in MI. I didnt care where I would go, IL, CA, AK, or even out of the country. I had nothing keeping me tied to this state or country and I wanted to be able to have a piece of paper respected by the greater community. I heard that MI had three of the top five colleges for teaching: Calvin, Eastern Michigan, and Central Michigan. I knew I didnt have the $$ for Calvin so I applied to Eastern and Central before I left for Europe. When I returned I found myself accepted by EMU and enrolled into classes right away.
After my return from Europe I found myself with more time than I thought I had before I was supposed to move down to Eastern... almost a month. I didnt know what I was going to do, but I knew didnt want to lean against Dad as he helped me so much with getting back to the states. Thankfully, God heard my needs and provided me with a way to find a temp job with Amway till I was to leave for Eastern. I was able to pay rent for those two weeks, repay Aaron, and even have a bit left over to take with me to Ypsilanti. I was able to establish myself as one who could prove that I didnt need live off of my family, that I could get emergency assistance, then pick myself up and continue on independently from them.
A week or so when I arrived on campus I was walking around in the late summer night and was contemplating the year that had gone by. I thanked God for the opportunities and the experiences that I had and told Him how much I was amazed by what He had given me. As I was thanking him I was contemplating on what could be done to make this year even better than what I had already been through. I kind of chuckled and said, "You know the thing that would top this whole thing off would be if somehow I was able to catch Cassie." Cassie was a good friend of mine, best friend in fact, whom I had a huge crush on and who constantly reminded me that we were just friends though by that time I knew better. I didnt really belive that it would happen as it was half way through Sept and the thought itself just a passing "what if" through my mind... be careful what you pray for.
On the early hour of Monday October 8, 2007 I was told via phone by Cassie of her feelings towards me and of her yearning to be inside my heart. It came as a total shock and it had me dazed for a good couple of days. Since then we have talked nearly every day for hours and I can say I have not been this charged, excited, and genuinely happy in a long time--if ever.
Apparently even God saves the very best for last.
I looked at my past and those around me. I have friends whom graduated years after me who already had a Bachelor's Degree, families, and an established life. I knew people who were in my youth group as a kid teaching at the International University in Beijing. I saw that I had spent hours playing video games, hanging out with friends, watching TV, and generally doing nothing with my life. I still lived with my Dad's assistance and was unable to provide even the most basic of my needs. I looked at my life and I saw how disappointing it was to myself and I was determined to regret nothing.
So I prayed and made a declaration to between me and God that this was going to be The Year of the Jolls. That this would be a year to remember for all time and redeem my ineffectual years and be something 50 years from now that I can look back and be proud of. Little did I know how much of that would actually come true:
I had been going to college since 2000 and spent most of the time there goofing off as I changed my major 7 times. I was at a community college for every year except for one, meaning that I had spent 6 years of my life "learning" and still had not received my two-year degree. I enrolled into the classes that I needed to finally graduate and even found myself a fantastic on campus job that was able to help me move out and to pay my rent and food bills while I was still in class. On Summer of 2007, an Associates Degree was mailed to my apartment.
While at the college an opportunity had come to me to do a study abroad program in Ireland. I had always wanted to go to Europe, especially since I had now decided to become a HS History teacher. I wanted to go to England, France, Italy, and Greece to experience what I would eventually end up teaching my students. I signed up, and maxed out my financial aid so that I could go to Ireland for three weeks then spend another 5 in Europe. I only made it through Ireland, France, and Monaco before my money ran out but I made it out there and made it back with an experience that can never be replicated.
When I returned I was searching for a 4 year college to continue on with my degree and go on with my schooling. I wanted to go to a school that would give me a high quality of educational teaching that would be recognizable in more places than simply here in MI. I didnt care where I would go, IL, CA, AK, or even out of the country. I had nothing keeping me tied to this state or country and I wanted to be able to have a piece of paper respected by the greater community. I heard that MI had three of the top five colleges for teaching: Calvin, Eastern Michigan, and Central Michigan. I knew I didnt have the $$ for Calvin so I applied to Eastern and Central before I left for Europe. When I returned I found myself accepted by EMU and enrolled into classes right away.
After my return from Europe I found myself with more time than I thought I had before I was supposed to move down to Eastern... almost a month. I didnt know what I was going to do, but I knew didnt want to lean against Dad as he helped me so much with getting back to the states. Thankfully, God heard my needs and provided me with a way to find a temp job with Amway till I was to leave for Eastern. I was able to pay rent for those two weeks, repay Aaron, and even have a bit left over to take with me to Ypsilanti. I was able to establish myself as one who could prove that I didnt need live off of my family, that I could get emergency assistance, then pick myself up and continue on independently from them.
A week or so when I arrived on campus I was walking around in the late summer night and was contemplating the year that had gone by. I thanked God for the opportunities and the experiences that I had and told Him how much I was amazed by what He had given me. As I was thanking him I was contemplating on what could be done to make this year even better than what I had already been through. I kind of chuckled and said, "You know the thing that would top this whole thing off would be if somehow I was able to catch Cassie." Cassie was a good friend of mine, best friend in fact, whom I had a huge crush on and who constantly reminded me that we were just friends though by that time I knew better. I didnt really belive that it would happen as it was half way through Sept and the thought itself just a passing "what if" through my mind... be careful what you pray for.
On the early hour of Monday October 8, 2007 I was told via phone by Cassie of her feelings towards me and of her yearning to be inside my heart. It came as a total shock and it had me dazed for a good couple of days. Since then we have talked nearly every day for hours and I can say I have not been this charged, excited, and genuinely happy in a long time--if ever.
Apparently even God saves the very best for last.