Graduation means...Officially Unemployed?

Every student looks forward to the last day of school, but as it nears, the temperatures rise and end-of-year events, birthday parties, and FINALS overwhelm! But, when it's all said and done, there's a good reason to celebrate. I wish my graduation ceremony had as much entertainment as my kids preschool graduation. They sang cartoon-inspired songs, featuring such catchy favorites for the boys as "I Like to Move It" and "Shake Your Groove Thing" (which Tristan insisted was actually "Shake Your Groofy", hm, can't imagine where he gets his stubbornness). The girls danced in tutu's and the one on the end pulled hers up around her head, covering her face for the entire performance, although impressively still dancing along in sync with the others even with the head-dress blinding her.

I could have saved some money if I had just made my own square paper cap and yarn tassel like theirs. Especially when I realized I had mine on backwards nearly half the time, the top-heavy thing just kept sliding off my head. Of course it probably didn't help that I only brought one bobby pin so I only had it pinned behind one ear. But it's not even about the costume of it all, because, yes, I get it, we all wear costumes every day. We will have to dress for the jobs we want, not the one we have (don't have?). But it's a day of achievement, and celebration, and yet all I can think is: What's next? And that's something I had not even had time to figure out, as I struggled to get chapters read, essays written, and creative nonsense structured into something tangible. Something I had not come to terms with until it was inevitably time for me to come up for air.

So, Happy Graduation? Yes and No. Yay for my kiddos, they are so smart :) But, boo, for having a three month run of not seeing their friends, and the temps getting too hot to do the outdoor stuff they love all the time. And boo for me trying to keep up the momentum of the final quarter of my undergraduate studies! And everybody's favorite question to answer: so, now what are you going to do?

Well, anyone with even one child knows that there's never a dull or boring moment, or a moment when you find yourself sitting in a big cozy chair twiddling your thumbs and falling into a leisurely nap. But, the job hunting starts, and instead of considering myself unemployed, I think it's fair to say that I still have several jobs, of which being a mom can get a little more attention now, and not getting out of pj's until lunch an added perk of summer time. Not to mention the three days worth of laundry I did immediately following my last final exam.

And for me, the college grad? Preparing for the GRE, researching graduate schools with MFA programs in Creative Writing (and great financial aid), and finally revising the work I've been letting marinate for a while, buried in various notebooks, files, and shoeboxes. I guess a scavenger hunt might be in order too!