Today was a typical Monday morning for me. I woke up, showered, took care of a few things on the computer and then got into the car to head up to campus at noon. Once I had embarked on my ride, I decided that Willie Nelson was the thing to listen to and tuned the iPod to his Willie and Family Live CD. The song ‘One Day at a Time’ came on as I cruised through the intersection at 2222 and Burnet and it was as though I was hearing it for the first time. This is ironic because this song was a staple of my childhood … if anything, you could always count on hearing Willie Nelson, Neil Diamond, Jimmy Buffet and ZZ Top on the stereo at our place. It was confusing because I know all of those songs better than I know most things in my life.
And then, it dawned on me. The song, albeit very simplistic, had taken on a new meaning for me and I had not heard it since then. Several months ago, when I was at my Mom’s house vacationing for a few days, we got into a long conversation about how stressed out I get and my general need to settle down and focus on getting through the PhD years. During this talk, my Mom fished her wallet out of her purse and pulled out a credit card sized card and handed it to me. It was a light yellow color and had a graphic printed on it that represented footprints in the sand. The card said ‘One Day at a Time’ on it and nothing else. She told me that years ago, after my Dad had died, my grandmother had given her the card to remind her that the best she could do was take it one day at a time and be thankful for that. She had carried the card in her wallet since then. The exchange snapped my perspective back into focus and made me realize that I can do all of this and should be thankful for each day that I get to continue to do what it is that I do. Of course, my cynical side makes that difficult on some days, but I do the best that I can.
For now, as I sit on my porch, staring down the next 16 days of school work and tedium, I can only laugh at myself and quote my favorite country western singer …
“I live one day at a time
And I dream one dream at a time
Yesterday is dead and tomorrow is blind
And I live one day at time …”
–Willie Nelson, ‘One Day at a Time’
Today in Austin it was 95 degrees and breezy which reminded me that we have definitely settled in to Spring in Central Texas. The streets are coated with mulberry pollen and everything seems to have come into bloom all at once. In fact, my strawberry plant is sporting two very red berries which generally doesn’t happen until sometime in June. I’ll be happy to eat the berries, but it makes me wonder what it’s going to be like outside when June rolls around this year? Alas, I digress …
Spring time in Austin always brings lots of beautiful flowers to look at in the parks and yards that extend through the several miles of road I walk on or take to and from work everyday. In particular, at the 45th and Guadalupe interchange, as you begin to head South along Guadalupe, there is a long row of rose bushes that bloom this time every year. The bushes are large and grow along a chain link fence that creates the barrier for the Texas State Mental Health Facility that takes up about 8 city blocks in the center of town. The facility itself is a conglomeration of structures built in what looks like the 1940s. Many are similar to old post offices or doctor’s offices - as you look at them you can easily imagine the terrazo-like floors, the musky air conditioning, and the unique smell that only years of exposure to Southern heat and humidity can get you. The roses, however, can’t help but make up for this in their extravagant shades of red, apricot, white, and pink. I bet everyone living in the facility looks forward to this time of year when they can stop and smell the roses.
Speaking of which, Spring also brings the arrival of music season, as I have come to call it. The nights are magnificent this time of year - the temperatures dip into the 60s and 70s and a light breeze keeps things fresh - making for nice surroundings when standing outside listening to music. This weekend will bring a trip to see Todd Snider, then on the 29th it will be Drive by Truckers. Later this Summer, Beck will be playing at The Backyard and then the Flaming Lips in September. I don’t think I’ve had a music season like this in almost a decade. Needless to say … I am looking forward to some good tunes and happy times. The rites of Spring are treating us right this year indeed!
For now, I will get into my car, roll the windows down and drive down to my favorite gelato place for something sweet. Because, after all, you can’t write a consumer behavior paper until you’ve had some cinnamon gelato and a coffee drink :).
That’s the rule for tonight, anyway.
Well folks, I am excited to report that today, after days of stressful anticipation, I met with my PhD Course Committee for the first time and was able to get my program of coursework approved without a hitch. This was exciting for several reasons, the most important being that my schedule is now set in stone and I will be done by the Summer of 2008. It seems like a long way off now, but in the grand scheme of things it is but a few months of what has come to be my late twenties. By the looks of it now, I will be Dr. Laura Bright before my 31st birthday. Woo-freaking-Hoo!!
On another exciting note, Grace received news that she will get the big doctoral fellowship from the Communications School to work on her dissertation next year. This means, among other things, that she can rest assured knowing that rent and bills will be paid as she writes, reads, and writes some more. It appears that the stars have aligned for the both of us on this 13th day of April, 2006.
For tonight, Grace and I will head up to my place for a nice dinner and bottle of wine to celebrate that things are great for today. Brian is cooking a nice piece of fish for us on his new grill. And, I’ll be pouring wine and listening to my favorite Willie Nelson CDs until I’ve turned in to a good hearted woman myself.
Well, it has come to be that time of the semester again where project deadlines are oppressively looming overhead and a beach vacation to Florida in May is the carrot dangling in front of me, coaxing me along the way toward my completion date of May 10th. Of course, it is not my ‘I’m done with school’ completion date, but it does mean that I am done with another semester of coursework and that is always a good thing.
This time of year always gets me to thinking about how I got through it the last time, how I can improve my process, and what shape I will be in when it is all done. As you can imagine, this reflection can be painful at times … remembering sleepless nights and the agony of never having enough time to get things perfect is never pleasant … but alas, that is what it takes sometimes to get things done. It makes the reward that much more fabulous in the end, right?
Of all of the things I remember most during these times, it is those ridiculous rants that I tend to go on to my husband, brother, best friends, etc. when I get totally stressed out about this academic life that I am pursuing. During a particularly fierce moment last December, as I was standing on the tallest soap box that I could find, my husband just looked at me, smiled and said … ‘Academia … isn’t that a parish in Louisiana?’. I laughed at him … and then at myself for a very long time.
So, with that thought in mind, I venture off to finish off another semester in the best way that I know how … sense of humor in check, loud music on the speakers, and visions of sparkling white sand and blue water on my mind. With any luck, I’ll be checking my brain at the Florida border come May 12th!
I woke up late Monday morning, after a long flight in from Reno, Nevada on Sunday night, thinking that I might have dreamt the last four days of my life. The smokey haze of the casino and constant ‘Ding Ding Ding’ of the slot machines has left me in a weird state. For the most part, the trip went well. The presentation went off without a hitch and we had 30 people in attendance which was a remarkable amount if you ask me ;). On the flip side of that, the mauve velvet bedspreads and room of mirrors that Grace, Katherine and I stayed in left much to be desired. I had Katherine photograph the railyard and scrap metal pile outside of our room … just in case any of us had any thoughts of ever returning to Reno again! For now, we have Burlington, Vermont to look forward to for next year’s AAA conference. In the meantime, I’ve got a few papers to get together.
If I’ve learned anything about casino towns it’s that no matter how much you win, you always leave with empty pockets.
And … a side note … who knew I was playing in Reno this weekend?
http://www.waldenscoffeehouse.com/performers-JKL-LauraBright.shtml