Dash

"You said I must eat so many lemons 'cause I am so bitter." -Kate Nash

Cute song. In this order: good news, annoyances, and Jeronimo.

Two articles on the front of the Sun's city section today. I believe that's the first time that's happened. The nursing home story was too cute; eight more days in Lewiston, then freedom.

Several smiles and LOL's from a witty facebook companion right when I was feeling a surge in insecurity and sadness last night. I love going back and forth; a competition of intelligence and wit- maybe the awkwardness is starting to ween, but I don't want to speak too soon.

-Annoyances
-My Schwinn bike has a flat tire.
-Once one opens a box of Honey Nut Chex, it's like she wants to finish the whole thing. Thank God I get thirsty from all the sugar they put in it and must stop.... I feel sick.
-Sylvia Plath killed herself by putting her head in an oven. Why are writers so crazy? Lord have mercy. Maybe I should find a new profession.
- Black coffee is a godsend, but it no longer has an effect on me, which is unfortunate.
- The world is full of whinny people. I'm not angry but often I would like to cut the balls off some Asian men. I don't understand how the most unattractive race of men could be so goddamn big headed- their ignorance spreads like wildfire.

Jeronimo
I don't think I'm spelling his name correctly. I read his story in the school's magazine and it almost took my breath away. He went from having nothing to being a Colby grad by his own will and motivation. The exceptions at Colby are where my source of inspiration comes from.

There's very little failure there. To many of these kids, and especially to many of the minority kids like myself who receive scholarships, the option of failing is not on the table. People have invested in us and this is our shot. I'll be a first generation Huynh to graduate; how can I fail? The 'Posse' kids who come from New York public schools, and were a top their classes, and now are, by no uncertain terms, leaders throughout the very intellectual Colby community, is a source of pride.

It's the reason behind why I miss the college when I'm at home; I miss the challenge of being part of a young, intense, intellectual community. When one is away from college, she's sucked back into the reality that there is so much failure in the real world. There are so many people who are homeless or addicted to drugs or working low-wage jobs. At Colby, people who look like me, who were less fortunate than me when they came into the College are exceeding at a spectacular rate. There is still too few of us. There are still 50-60 percent of people fortunate enough to pay full tuition... there is still a lot blindness in a community consisting of people who are disgustingly privileged and refuse to admit and see it. There's a large sector of people who want to go on and indulge in their own privileges.... add more privileges if they can.

The difference about last year as opposed to my freshman year at the institution is knowing that I'm not there to befriend everyone, there's a section of people who help me strive, there's a certain percentage of amazing, focused and goal-oriented people, there's a niche of people who make my life there not only worthwhile but enjoyable.

To see Jeronimo's story and everything that he went through and continues to go through; yet seeing him not veer from his goal, is in one word, astonishing.