Excited/Scared

I have never had trouble scheduling for classes until this past few weeks. I have been preparing for fall 09, the beginning of my 2^nd senior year.

My feelings about scheduling the past week remind me of a quote from Owen Wilson’s short-lived character in the 1998 disasterpiece Armageddon: "Great, I got that 'excited/scared' feeling. Like 98% excited, 2% scared. Or maybe it's more - It could be two - it could be 98% scared, 2% excited but that's what makes it so intense, it's so - confused. I can't really figure it out."

If I’m going through this much nervous excitement when I still have a year left, I cant imagine what my soon-to-be-graduate friends (which is most of them) are going through. I recently had to calm down a friend who was freaking out about the future. Preparing for my teaching cohorts and midtiers, student teaching, portfolios, etc. are stressful enough, but a lot of my friends are worrying about much more stressful things, i.e. graduation, job interviews, moving. And this stuff is right around the corner for me.

I never claimed to be a good writer, so I don't feel too bad about not knowing how to describe the nervous-excited feeling, but I do know that it is normal. Everyone goes through big transitions in their life. My last one was moving away to college, and I just had a friend who retired from a 30-year career. Although the nervousness and excitement are expected, it doesn't make the feeling in one's gut any less intense. However, I know all of my friends, both high school and college, are going to be successful in all of their varying career paths. I am proud of all you soon-to-be-graduates, and you should be too.

In other news, NASA recently had a contest to name a new wing of the International Space Station. The winner? "Colbert," after host of The Colbert Report Stephen Colbert. Members of the Colbert Nation have had disappointment with contests like this before; Hungary declined to name a bridge "Colbert" after a similar online election because the talk show host is neither Hungarian nor dead. Also, his name was denied for the South Carolina Democratic Presidential primary. Representative Chaka Fattah (D-PA) released a statement in favor of the winning name: "NASA decided to hold an election to name its new room at the International Space Station and the clear winner is Stephen Colbert. The people have spoken, and Stephen Colbert won it fair and square..." To be clear, Colbert did mobilize his fans to vote for the name, but NASA chose to have this online election. I urge them to do the right thing, the democratic thing.

Finally, I would like to admit that after Oscar's nervous-excitement in Armageddon, he was soon killed off. I'll try not to let that worry me; I suggest you do the same.

I'll try not to let a year pass before I write again. Until next time, Love, Peace, and

Colbert In Space?