Making The Grade
Wednesday, August 18th, 2010 09:43 am GMT -5
So last week I had my orientation for grad school. Don’t get me wrong, I am excited to start this new chapter, but I suddenly found myself thrown off balance and taken back about 20 years in the past. During one of the sessions a professor said “See you in class in about a week!” At that moment reality set into place and this school thing became real. Pictures began to appear in my mind as I remembered the frenzy I would throw myself into just to be on point for the new school year. And it wasn’t only me my parents made it much harder for my transition into the new school year. Travel back with me … do you remember some of the things you used to do? Here are a few examples of what I went through …
Aiight, so i didn’t have the best sense of style back in elementary school and like most others I had to work with hand-me downs. I remember I had a pair of green jeans (yes green) that were of course too long for me. So what I did was cuff the pant legs up two times and end up with 6 inch cuffs. Then the whole week before school started, I spent all my time matching the pants with different shirts and the one pair of shoes I owned. I had no idea that all that work still wasn’t going to make me cool. It was only when I got to school and saw all the other kids with Nike, Reebok, Adidas, Karl Kani, Cross Colors, FuBu (the list goes on) … that I realized I didn’t measure up. And then my mom (love you mommy) would send me to school with a fried egg sandwicha fruit and a drink all packed in a brown lunch bag. But back then, brown bags were not cool, and neither was fried egg. So after complaining, she stepped up to the plate and got me my very own Menudo lunch box with matching thermos. Thanks mom!
I would eventually find out who Menudo was 6 years later and realized I definitely was not looking smooth carrying that lunch box. But I snapped back to reality and realized that much of my childhood school years were spent comparing myself to others. I don’ do it as much today but every now and then I catch myself saying this persons life is better in this way or that person has that … etc. II Corinthians 10:13 reminds us of the dangers of comparison. It says … “For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise. We, however, will not boast beyond measure, but within the limits of the sphere which God appointed us—a sphere which especially includes you.”
So as I head back to school, I need to remind myself, I might not be as smart as the next person or might not make the grades that the next person makes … (i have however come up in the style department so that is not a concern … haha), I just have to trust that God will honor my step of faith and bless me accordingly. So I’m taking it easy as I prepare for this semester. I’m not gonna wrap my books in brown paper to preserve them, or get a trapper-keeper just to look cool. I’m just gonna be me. So I wanna know, what funny school memories do you have from your childhood?
One response to "Making The Grade"
3rd-4th grade….I believe that my mother wanted my Jheri curl to be the most juiciest to ever exist at that school. Every morning, she would spray just enough curl activator until it dripped profusely. (She couldnt stand a dry Jheri curl!) But never the less, I thought i was the hot stuff until kids started calling me “Juices n Berries” and would sing “Just Let Your Sooooooul Glow!” when i would walk by.