Manila is now my favorite color.

07May08

Valancy Jane – *pouty face*  “You guys got pretty colored folders.  She went to the cabinet and got me a plain manila one.”

Girl in front of me – “Yeah, me too.  I wanted a blue one.”

Valancy Jane – “Green would really have gone with my outfit.”

Guy in front of us – “They’re color coded for how many DUI’s you’ve had, and been through the program.  Believe me, we’d all prefer to trade for your manila one, and just a three month class.  Mine is 18 months.”

Valancy Jane – “I love you, manila folder.  You are so beautiful.   I’m so proud to have you on my arm.”

 

Today was my enrollment orientation.  Facing the logistical nightmare that is these classes, two some weeks, some weeks three, and all the ways you can get in trouble and lose your chance a restricted license and have to start all over, and pay all over, it’s making me sick to my stomach.  One minute late to class?  Unexcused absence.  Forget to turn off your cell phone?  You’re out.  Miss(or late) three in a row?  Or five total?  Start all over, license gone. 

And it starts to feel unfair.  Ok, I get it.  I’m one of the good kids, and treating me like scum doesn’t bring out the best in me. 

I was all set to indulge in a pity party, but a few things helped my perspective today.  One, a chat with a friend who’s been through this all and can describe what the end of this tunnel looks like.  Two, remembering that I’m a plain ole manila folder, not blue, not green, not yellow and thank god, not red.

Three, the results came back today, and Sumer does NOT have leukemia. 

So all things considered, life ain’t so bad.

Filed under: actual conversations, commute, mlb   |  2 Comments