It's been unseasonably cold here for the last several days. I
know; I know. For those of you that live in the "Great White North"
(any place above Orlando, pretty much), you'd think this was a
picnic. But for those of us that have been down here long enough to
have "thin blood", it's freezing.
When I think back to when I was a kid--we'd go outside in 3+
feet of snow barefoot. I can't even imagine doing anything like
that now. Now it becomes parka weather when it's below 60. I take
solace in knowing what the weather will be like next weekend (at
least the predictions) and also that I've had to be inside studying
for midterms--so it's not like I've missed anything. Next weekend
will be a different story--a welcome break in between sets of
exams. Ahhh. Yes. Thank You.
I've admittedly been having a tough week. Trials and
tribulations with my own issues as well as issues "back home". We
all hope and work for the best, but sometimes it doesn't happen
that way. We do what we can and try to remind ourselves that it's
all going to be OK. I was writing that on the chalkboards in some
of the classrooms. It's not just midterms and finals that stress us
out. I don't know how many pep talks I've given over the last 2
weeks, but I'm extremely grateful for the ones I've received. A
special thanks to Super Vito. I'm gonna make you a cape, my
friend.
It's a rarity that any of us come through this unscathed.
Whether it's a health issue, a break up, a family member, a new
relationship, a child, or any number of other reasons--there are
more than enough things to distract us from what we're trying to
do. Sometimes it's hard to keep those priorities straight.
Sometimes all of those other things take priority over school.
Above all, it comes down to taking care of ourselves. It's a new
thing for me to stop and take a step back when I'm reaching my
breaking point. I'm still working on that.
The most important thing to remember, when I'm NOT coming
through unscathed, is to be a little gentle with myself. Forgive
myself. Take care of myself. It really does make all the
difference.
Our pictures today are of the St. Pete Pier--from either
direction. The pier building itself is set to be demolished
sometime soon. It's been an icon of the town for decades. I've seen
the designs for its replacement. It's interesting--somewhere
between the Jetsons, the Sydney Opera house and tinker toys--but
I'm going to reserve final judgment for when it's all done. We
shall see. If you're around town for the 4th of
July, they usually do an AMAZING fireworks show over the pier and
on either side of it. Of course, I know the best spots to watch
it--without being stuck in all the traffic. But those are pics and
stories for a different day.
Study hard, folks. But most importantly, remember what's
important. Only you can decide that.