Examssss

WELCOME TO THE REAL WORLD

“At first glance it may appear too hard.  Look again.  Always look again.”

--Mary Anne Rodmacher

            Oy vey, this has been a doozy of a week.  The sentiment of the past week was mixed with sadness, excitement, and sheer desperation.  It is incredibly odd and sad to think that my freshman year is quickly coming to an end.  I kid you not I can vividly remember being dropped off at my dorm back in August, unpacking my things, and then begging my parents to take me back home to Charlotte.  Convinced that there was no possibility of adjustment in the near future, I spent the first two weeks crying in the shower and trying to work out in my head where the flaw in the system was and why in the hell heck UNC admitted me.  Since then, I have grown to realize that it is not all about being smart…it’s about tricking people into thinking you’re smart and I have met people that I can confidently say I will be friends with for many years to come.  While I am none too pleased about leaving my friends and knowledge behind for the summer, the end of the summer is approaching with bittersweet anxiety because there’s a catch to being released for break.  Eight classes, four exams, one paper, one group project, and a room’s worth of packing stand between me and my ticket outta here. The weeks just before exams are of rare form and consist of high tensions, long nights in the library, and Grande cups of coffee…yuck.  Anywho, this is what happened in the real world this past week.  Can’t wait to see what is in store for the coming one!

Exam Reality:

#1: There are rare forms of gems in Chapel Hill and I was lucky enough to discover one this past week!  Meet Lee, a very handy tow truck driver who is awarded “most chivalrous man of the week”, an award I made up upon meeting him.  While he lacks valid competition, his efforts are not to be ignored and were truly appreciated when my roommate’s beloved car “Big Black” broke down on Monday.  She has AAA (wouldn’t it be nice? Hint hint mom and dad) and after calling, Lee arrived a short twenty minutes later with a smile on his face and an interesting story about a race of people in Tennessee called Mulungees.  I do not know if that is correct spelling or if there is even such a people but Lee spent a half hour talking about them as he not only inspected Mackenzie’s car but also replaced the battery and checked the alternator (yup I know car terms).  He was so nice and the whole time I was listening to him (and judging his poor choice of colleges…he went to/cheers for NC State. Ew.), all I could think about was writing about him in my blog…so of course I stealthily took some pictures.  Anywho Lee was a gem beneath all his car grime and Mackenzie and I are truly grateful for all your help.  And stories about Mulungees.

#2: There is absolutely nothing better than a dog.  If you don’t like dogs, I submit that you are crazy.  I seriously don’t know anything that is better than a dog!!!! (except for maybe a baby that doesn’t cry but those are so rare that I’m happy to settle on dogs) I came across this story about a dog named Grace who stood guard over her dog friend after he had been hit by a car.  After pining after both puppies for a little, I got on pinterest and pinned some other cute pictures of puppies.  What am I most excited about when I get to go home?  Seeing my dogs! The best part about the story is that Grace’s mommy and daddy finally came forward and she is actually a Maggie J

(scroll to the bottom to watch the video. good luck not crying!)

http://b93radio.com/blogs/post/cmckenzie/2012/apr/16/loyal-dog-will-not-leave-his-buddies-side-tearjerk/ 

#3: Life is precious.  I try not to taint the real world issues with sad stories usually but there is something to be said for the lessons we learn from the sad things in life.  This past week one of my sorority sister’s boyfriend, a dear friend to many, passed away in a tragic accident in St. Thomas.  Just a few years older than me, James Alexander graduated from Chapel Hill in 2010.  His death has made me, and many other students here, realize just how lucky we are to wake up everyday with our friends and family intact.  Please keep James and his family in your prayers and remember how lucky we are to be here.

            I am very grateful to have you all in my life and I hope that I will get to see many of you soon if I can survive these two weeks that threaten to break my sanity.  Hope you all have fabulous weeks and that none of you will be confined to the dusty barracks of a library stuffed with books about Middle East Realignment.  Oh yes. That is what I am accompanied by on the 6^th floor of Davis library.  And I guarantee there are some smarty smarts at this school just itching to read that tome for leisure once they finish up with their exams.  Me? I’m looking forward to pool and sleep! Love ya. Miss ya. Mean it.

Kane