"A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to My Class"

Three odd things happened in my class last night.

1.  My new (and first) fellow Grad Student friend asked if I would mind to meet her parents.  I had been waving "Hi!" to them as I left class and they arrived to make sure their daughter Nicole made it safely to her car - and didn't get attacked - which - I think - is WONDERFUL!  Nicole said, "Well, I want them to meet you since - well - I've been a Grad Student for years now - And I've never met anyone like you!"  She blinked her purple eyelids at me.  I didn't know what to say.  I was pretty sure she meant it in a good way, and not in a "Hey- you're weirder than the tiny-handed Prof that teaches this class!" So I smiled and said "sure!" 

"You're just so different! I mean, most other Grad Students try to outsmart each other - and you're not like that at all!  You're so bubbly and down to earth!"  And that, my dear readers, is like gold to a chick who feels like a very round, very pronounced peg in a tiny little square hole. 

2.  I finally had an in-group discussion with the other Grad Student in my class. She talked over everyone and was so opinionated and overbearing that, in a moment of weekness I found myself trying to mentally make her choke on her piece of minty gum that she was smacking while we were discussing "House of Mirth."

3.  I walked out of class with two very attractive, very much thinner than me and very smart girls.  They then both took turns telling me how pretty I was.  Smiling graciously and thanking them profusely I got into my Denali and pondered this:  "Is it better to have a pretty girl tell you you're pretty - or an ugly one to tell you of your beauty?   And if a pretty girl proclaims your attractiveness - is it a farce? Do they mean it? Or are they inwardly saying either "NOT!" or "...but I'm prettier..."   I decided to, instead, launch  a crooked smile into my rearview and take the compliment as it was given. 

School has been going very well - other than the occassional mental break-downs and nail-bitingly close deadlines. 

But I'm almost done - and then- well - that's still open.

I think I had to go to Grad School to realize a few things:  it's not for me; I'm not that old; and I'm still smart.  

Yay me - and stuff.

:)