Mel’s Life - An Update

I began think it’s about time I post an actual “Mel’s Life” update. This year marks a brand new chapter in my life. I actually get to start over where I had never started in the first place. For the first time in my life I actually have the opportunity to achieve, what most 18 year olds embark upon; an education. (Somewhat poignant that this is also the year that my daughter, my youngest, turned 18)
Out of a near tragedy (a curse, if you will), came blessings. My father’s cancer is thankfully, miraculously in remission. What once was bleak and ominous is bright and promising. Currently I am free to get back to my life.
Papa is fully self-sufficient and interestingly has become a “playa”. He’s gone on more dates in the past couple months than I have in the past 6 years, or more, with many different women. But I digress.
Now, having spent every day after Feb. 25th, ‘07 with Dad, I consequently had no income last year. I even missed out on the stimulus checks. Nevertheless, financial aid did Not hesitate to approve me. See? Bleak… turned promising. I have registered for classes beginning September 2nd and those fees have been covered already. I am working towards an ultimate goal while meeting short term ones in the process. I’ve been an Admin assistant for years but found myself spirally down into $10.00/hr hell. With a degree, and a specialty, that wage turns to salary, doubles and triples….. and so on. Legal secretaries make an excellent salary and have the most interesting office assistant job there is. Paralegals make even more. So I am taking the CAOT core with the legal Sec option for certification, on my way up to bachelors, then paralegal. Law school on the other hand is, daunting and unrealistic. I’m going to be 40 in about a minute (9/09) and who can afford a university in my world? No one, that’s who.
Karl’s death and my missing the last 2 years of his life caused a shift in my perspective. Learning of his deep depression and discontent hit me hard. When I was last in touch with him in ’05 he seemed very happy and content. I was also told by a friend of his that he was over the moon happy and in love, the Pulsators were touring, things were good for Karl then. (I, on the other hand, was not good at that time. If you’ve read my archives, you already know this.) I missed the chance to talk to Karl, be his friend. Remind him that in spite of his mistakes, he is valuable, with a good heart and soul… to try to remember to honor that. Even if no one else can. This has made me realize that life is fleeting and for the most part, is lonely… but it shouldn’t be. Time is the omnipresent hindrance, the swift and surreal adversary. Time is what we need to respectfully manage and use wisely to ultimately be happy and successful: these two things are intertwined, of course. That any minute…. Second everything can and does change. I have no idea how long I will live. I could be in my 80’s or so or, I could trip on a clothes hamper, bump my head and die tomorrow. I want to at least be able to pay for my own funeral before that happens. I want my soul to be at peace and content when that happens.
My life is now… and the highway is moving faster everyday. Cruise control is not an option today. Just like the incubus song says:
“when I drive myself, my light is found”