Who are you?
Saturday, December 5, 2009 In eight days I will graduate from WSU with my MFA in creative writing. Eight days. Just eight years ago I was on a tour of the campus, tooling around in a golf cart while a genuinely interesting honors student reminded me of just why I love this university and sealed the deal for my return. Five years following that golf cart tour, I earned my bachelor's with honors. I took the summer off and jumped into graduate school that fall.
It has not been easy. Because I didn't qualify for a lot of scholarships (it stated my spouse earned too much income. Really? I had no idea), I worked full-time while attending classes. My first year of grad school, my husband lost his job, so I gave up my graduate teaching assistantship. Then my niece died. Suddenly, a graduate degree seemed not important. Neither did writing. But, my faculty advisor encouraged me to stick with it, I had come this far and had further to go. Don't quit now. I didn't. I'm so glad I listened to him and the others who cheered me on.
I realized the other day that I've been in school almost as long as I have been married. Brad's a little worried about what that means. I mean, we really don't know what it's like to have a normal married life, one without study days, study weekends, papers due, books to buy, events to miss. Then again, does anyone have a normal marriage?
For eight years and one semester I have been a student/working gal. That's me. I work and go to school. I miss birthday parties and other social gatherings because I have papers to write, books to read, exams to take. I know this life. I know it well.
So, on December 14, the day after graduation, who am I? It's something that has been weighing on my mind. Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled to lead a "normal" life, one without classes, papers, etc. But, then what? My friend Chandra is dealing with this same issue, so I feel a little better knowing I'm not alone in questioning "now what?"
I guess I'll spend some time following graduation finding out just who I am. Am I just an employee of WSU? Am I a writer? What is my purpose?
I really want to know.





