9/4/16...

Week two ended with a huge OMG moment!  I've mentioned before that I have issues with places that aren't familiar to me.  Issues such as, anxiety, stress, tending to stick with situations where I'm familiar with surroundings.  Well.....it's a good thing I've been really working on my "serenity now" aura, because Friday morning would have resulted in a major melt-down (really need a good freak-out emoji to insert here)...  

Here's what happened:  Once upon a time, in a land where the Wildcats freely roam, there was a non-traditional student who at times felt slightly overwhelmed with her class schedule.  She tried to always give the appearance that things were swell, but secretly inside, she was a ball of terrified angst.  Walking late into a classroom was her worst nightmare, because she really just wanted to fade into the background.   Every day was a different start time for classes and trying to keep track of it was all-consuming.  So Friday rolled around with two classes followed by work for the remainder of the afternoon.  She had a hefty break between the two classes, and was looking forward to meeting up with her son for a late breakfast.  Now the student normally eats before she leaves for school, but because of the planned meeting, she walked out running on fumes from the night before.  Her dog was feeling a bit under the weather too, as she was scrambling to clean up after him last minute.  She arrived to campus and decided to get a coffee on her walk to class.  She knew she had time, no worries.  Twenty minutes waiting in line later and she was now a few minutes late.  She dashed up five flights of stairs and paused for a quick moment to catch her breath en route to the class down a very quiet hall as classes had all started.  The first thing she noticed when she entered the classroom was the lights were off.  She thought that was just odd.  The only available chair was on the opposite side of a very full room across from the door.  Pardon me and I'm sorry were softly uttered while looking at the floor.  Just.  Get.  To.  The.  Seat.  That's all the student could think.  Other students had to shuffle and move in order to let her by.  Finally she was seated in a very, tiny desk that was a squeeze-sideways and then turn to be situated, and even then it's only good for a right-handed person.  And then she dared to look up.  There were no familiar faces looking at her.  Doubt and dread began to twist in her stomach. The student got out her phone to look at her class schedule, when the door opened and a very young woman walked over to the teacher's desk and started to sign into the computer.  Now the student knew there was an issue.  She squeezed back out from the desk and started making her way up the aisle - again having to ask others to move so she could escape from what she realized was THE WRONG ROOM.  The students who had to move before had to move again.  There was a slight roaring in her ears as she knew she just needed to hurry up and get out.  The student was wearing a dress that proceeded to get caught on one of the student's laptop as she was trying to pass in a very narrow space.   A quick yank of the material and she was free, only to have her book bag smack him in passing.  Oh Dear God was quickly muttered and she practically flew out the door.  Once outside the door, the oh too familiar feelings of stress and anxiety flushed the student so that she knew she was bright red.  Two doors down was her correct classroom, and she could hear the class in progress as she passed by.  The student walked back out of the building and headed for the designated meeting space with her son, dying a thousand deaths inside over what just happened.  Size-two desks and Friday classes definitely suck.  The End.


So yeah...  I survived. Had a great breakfast with my son.  And I vow to make sure I have enough time to get to my classes before they start.  Always.  Progress continues on the self-portrait in painting class.  I'm taking progression photos to share here eventually.  It currently looks like I was channeling a tyrannosaurus rex with my perspective.  I shake my head and will try to re-do and camouflage it somehow.  And I've realized that having four writing-intensive classes is just as bad (or possibly worse) as having four art studio classes.  SO MUCH READING to do!  I really feel like I won't see the light of day this semester until it's over.  

That being said, I must dash.  Hope you enjoyed the story.  I'm just hoping for a bit better week this next week.  :)