It’s official, we’re on the THIRD post of the Time With Sig blog. This calls for a grand toast, standing ovation, and might I boldly add, a winning Lotto ticket with my name on it, haha! Just kidding…… But in all seriousness, I am so deeply proud that I’ve taken the steps to create something that I hope to be a safe outlet for my magical thoughts to thrive and engage with you all, my audience, my fam bam! Before we get started, grab a cup of hot cocoa, a blanket, and your phone, tablet or computer. There are some very real details lying ahead, and some really exciting ones too! I hope you enjoy it, guys.
Over this past week (for context, it’s the week following the Thanksgiving Holiday, 2019), I have truly come to appreciate the meaning and importance of the word ‘process’. So before I start getting ‘Amens’ from the congregation (you guys), let me explain more about what it took for me to get to this point of self-reflection and emotional/physical/mental epiphany. Let’s start with high school, shall we?
In September 2010, I started my student membership at Malverne Senior High School. I remember it being one of the scariest and most exciting days of my life. Everyone dresses in their coolest clothing just to get a whisper of a mention from their peers. Looking back… it’s still worth it. I didn’t know it then, but that year would mark the beginning of my high school career and pre-college CV.
Sorry to be so professional, but it’s true. In 9th grade, I participated in a mouth-full of clubs and activities, and community service programs. From tennis to softball, to robotics club, to marching band, NYSSMA (New York State School Music Association) for flute and piano, to Church Choir and GEMS Counselor-in-Training, I was stretched thin. But- I liked it a lot. In fact, I loved it!
I went on to complete my 4 years of high school and managed to create a list of extracurriculars, accomplishments, Honors, and Awards measuring 2 pages long, single-spaced. Yeah, you heard that correctly. Marching Band. Robotics Club, All AP Courses. Student Council Treasurer for two years. Tennis and Tennis Captain. NYSSMA for piano and flute. Tri-M Music Honor Society. Jazz Band. National Honor Society. Homecoming Court. Science Honor Society. Best Dressed Superlative Winner. Church Choir member. And I think I managed to be at least semi-popular (the haters will say otherwise, haha). To be fair, the Class of 2014 was 130 students deep- not much of a crowd but enough to make the Public (for my American PoliSci majors).
I did a lot and I mimicked that same behavior of multi-tasking in college too, except this time around I had more friends, a bigger student body and a wealth of donation backing coming from the illustrious Alumni Association at UVA. Resources by the plentiful, I was able to perform at my best with extensive access to professors, learned individuals, and celebrities and dignitaries alike. And best believe I took advantage of that. With the amount of tuition I was paying, it was my efficient responsibility to capitalize on the favoring moment (this is what I call: getting the bang for my buck, ECONOMICS 2010).
And then May 2019 rolls around the corner, and suddenly I’m stuck, I’m scared and I don’t know what I’m doing after graduation. Sure I’m proud of myself for the major feat I managed to pull off, but I’m still overwhelmed by the apparent shadow of college ending. Weeks go by, then months, and sadly I become unrecognizable, even to myself. What do you do when the world that you once knew moved rapidly at an immeasurable pace, has now suddenly gained more potential energy than you could ever imagine existed?
The stagnancy in what I thought, would be the most progressive, kinetically jolted moment in my young life, had usurped my emotions and newly discovered adulthood. I had become despondent to my reality and purpose.
It’s extremely hard to imagine what life would be like in different circumstances, especially if you’ve never experienced them. If you had asked me how I felt about post-grad life, from first-year to May 2018, I would have told you I was abundantly excited- but realities can and do often change, with or without your permission. What, then, becomes of the ‘process’ that you pleaded obedience to?
It’s worth mentioning that there is no singular path to accomplishing your dreams, and aspirations. No one tells you this, and in most instances, you’re expected to learn this on your own the hard way- but it’s probably one of the most important, life-defining pieces of information I have ever learned.
There’s still so much to say. Stay tuned for the next post, where we’ll pick up where we left off here. Till then my friends ❤
TIME WITH SIG 