Sometimes when kids go to college they rebel against the way they've done things according to their parents for the last 18 years. Sometimes, if they were raised to have their own morals rather than just following their parents' then they make good decisions and probably don't rebel too much (or at all). I was one of those kids. I didn't care much about drinking or partying...I was never tempted by sororities or flirty boys. But I did struggle in one specific area: Bedtime. Growing up we were forced to go to bed at 8pm until about high school. My poor older sister was forced to go to bed at 8pm even in high school. Poor thing! Anyway, bedtime was pretty strict at my house, so when I got to college I rebelled majorly. I stayed up as late as I wanted just because I could. Most of the time I'd stay up too much and after a few days I'd swear I was going to set a sensible bedtime. 11. 11pm was PLENTY of time. So for a few days I'd go to bed at 11, then get tired of that and stay up until 3:30 or 4 AM. Back and forth. Back and forth. I actually felt guilty like I was doing something wrong by not going to bed at a sensible time.
I never quite achieved a sense of balance with the bedtime thing. It was the worst my first year. I would stay up until 3 or so each morning...either playing or studying. I was a HUGE fan of the Instant Messenger at that time, and would talk to random people until the wee hours of the morning. I am not really a "morning" person, so I never scheduled a single class until the final semester of my college experience before 11 AM. NOT A SINGLE SEMESTER until the very end. So, I might go to bed at 3 am, and then get up at 10 to get ready for class. That still gave me 7 hours of sleep so I was usually good to go. (the whole idea seems ludicrous now!) Anyway, sometimes I'd drag out of bed a little late and have to rush around. I was so scatterbrained and never fully prepared for the day that I'd forget things constantly! I'd forget the text on my desk...I'd forget my notebook...I'd forget to brush my teeth. Don't throw stones.
So, anyway, one day I was walking to class. I remember that it was getting close to summertime, so I was probably sweating away with my long, very dark hair pulled into a ponytail most likely. I always felt like I was rushing around trying to get where I was going. I probably looked like the most awkward kid! Anyway, that day, as I was walking, I realized that something didn't feel right about my clothes/body. I started surveying myself as I walked. Shoes?? I looked down and there they were. Pants? Yes, I didn't forget to change out of my pajama pants. Underwear? Yep, no problem there. Shirt? Yep. A real shirt too, not even a t-shirt. Then it hit me.
I forgot to put a bra on.
I was humiliated. I was walking around ALL DAY with no bra on. all day. ALL DAY!
I never missed a class until my Senior year of college. I never skipped. So, I was forced to make a decision: continue my day with no bra on, or go home-change-and miss a class.
I chose to keep going to class and just cross my arms all day and PRAY no one noticed.
I should have been awarded a diploma that day.
1 comment:
Oh my!! That is so hilarious!! I kind of guessed what happened when I read your title! (that's what we call those necessary blessings in disguise). I have 7 daughters, who can't believe that I actually went without one on purpose, back in my pre-having babies stage. (Long before your time!) They run around here, of course, but in public they're modest. (Thankfully) Now I'm probably going to have a dream where I'm naked on a beach, or shopping in my nightgown!! I have shown up at a pediatrician appt. with 1 tan, 1 black, although the same style, shoes on. One time I was dropping off some kids at Della's and I had a sandal and a shoe on.. Another time I was putting my little girls in our van during a snow storm, and one of them asked me if I was going to put my skirt on.. All due, I believe, to lack of sleep.. By the way, I love to stay up late, always did, even in college.. but unfortunately I had a lot of early classes. Now that my girls are older, I can sleep later, so that helps, but I'm really trying to get on a better schedule, mainly because that's the way the world turns.. BTW.. I am going to check out those books. And that's all I need..
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