What Now

Since I'm graduating this Sunday (can I get a woo-hoo!) , I have been thinking a lot about the path that has led me to this place I am right now. I owe multitudinous thanks to a great deal of people who have helped me get to where I am today, so I felt that I should take a few moments to express those sentiments to a few of them so that everyone who stops by can know about what they've done for me.

First and foremost, I thank God...I'm really feeling God in this Chili's tonight. He is the biggest reason that I have not, to this point, jumped off of the roof of a tall building in sheer frustration and, of course, He's always there when I need Him. He has also given me:

My parents, who have always supported what ever weird, off the wall, and unfamiliar activity that I have undertaken - as long as it didn't mean I would be more than 20 miles from them. It goes without saying that they are the ones who have always made me believe I'm better, more talented, and smarter than I probably really am, and for that, I'm thankful. I'd also like to thank them for putting into me the fear of the afore mentioned God, so that I wouldn't do some of the ignorant things that rurally raised children seem to do that ultimately lands them in jail, a home for unwed mothers, or a trailer park out in the sticks. Unfortunately, these life lessons came from them both reprimanding:

My sister, Angie, who I learned from because she actually did all of the stupid things that I never did, and who unconsciously taught me that I was going to have to do more than wait around for someone to marry me to do something with my life. She was also the one who taught me to draw Snoopy at the age of 3 and who's artistic ability completely outstripped my own up until now, and probably still does in many ways, so I'll probably always be working to try and be as good at it as she is. I'd also like to thank her for telling me that the reason she didn't finish college was because she never felt as talented as the other people in her class, because I had been feeling that way in every art class I had ever taken and almost let it take me down, so it just made me work harder to get past the insecurity that I felt and learn to develop my own style no matter what anyone else was doing. It was also her unfortunate choice of past relationships, and the advice of who I should and shouldn't have dated, that helped me find:

Steve, who I thank because he took it upon himself to sign me up for college and tell me that I was going back, no matter what I thought about it. It was he who filled out my application, sent it in, and told me I was accepted. So, really, when it comes down to someone making a choice for me, this one was not a bad one at all! He's also put up with my hissy fits because something didn't work, the moaning because of how much homework I had to finish, the mess and expense that comes along with being an art student, the periodic meltdowns I have had from sheer exhaustion, and the fact that I am not, and will never be, appropriate for any of his corporate and "smart people get togethers" due to my lack of computer knowledge and my obscene desire to talk about the things I've learned in art history- and the fact that he takes me there anyways. : )

There is also

Kenny, who has been my friend for so long that I can't imagine being who I am now without having had his input in one way or another. He's always given me good advice about how to handle the stresses of college, and he always made it look easy, even when it wasn't. So surely, I believed, if he could make it through with little to no trouble, it had to be gravy. I'd like to thank him for that gentle lie. Heeheehee. He also has taken all of the pieces of art that I have shoveled onto him with the grace and delight of a loving Grandma, and (so he tells me), proudly displays them where other people can see it. Believing that at least someone was proud enough of the stuff I made to show it off always made me happy. Of course, he probably has more than his fair share of hit or miss print work and no free space at all on the front of his refrigerator!

Sara, who I thank for always being smarter than me and actually graduating in a timely manner from UAB, prompting me to attend her graduation ceremony and think: Hmmmmm, I'd look hot in that cap and gown!

Josh, who always spoke to me in French and tried his hardest to make me feel intellectually inferior - but never succeeded!

Amy and Jon, for having one of my screen prints matted, framed, and hanging in their house.

The unintentional rude male relative (who shall remain nameless) who basically told me I was unattractive, yet talented. That, my friends, made me know that if the modeling contracts never came through, then I'd need something to fall back on.

Mr. Wayne, who hired me as his administrative assistant, and then fired me a year later. You let me know that I suck at corporate America and should stay as far away from it as possible. I thank you for that every day.

and lastly, (although there are way more people than I'm adding here and if you feel I've slighted you - I apologize - but I'll make it up to you in some way), to everyone who has ever smirked at me when I told you I was an art student. To everyone who ever treated me like I was mentally incompetent because I didn't know how to code HTML, do math, or be able to recite "Sinners In the Hands of an Angry God" when prompted. To everyone who ever tried to dumb down a conversation, because they didn't think I had taken the appropriate classes to understand what they were talking about AND to all of the people who made the "Do You Want Fries With That" joke when it was funny - and well after it stopped being that way...I thank you all too. I thank you for pissing me off so badly that I worked my tail off to prove you wrong. Because, while it is a noble thing to do your best to make the people you love proud, it is truly another blessed thing altogether to be able to succeed just to spite those who think you can't do it. IN YOUR FACE!!!!!!!!!