Graduate School

Accepted at my favorite graduate school--but it is far away and cold there. I will be by myself, but I am still very happy. I am stunned and reeling from the happy news that I was sought after as a top prospect (not THE top, because he said that person happened to be a history major). I had an excellent recommendation, which I sent to my mom and dad to make them proud. Hubby suggested that we would be so happy if our children got a letter like that.
So this morning, I am knowing that I MUST get down to work. I keep trying, but am unable to focus. I think I've been like that since November!!!! And I still have three courses to work through and a paper to finish correcting by February 14.
Tonight I will go to my home group, a small group of....about 15 people. We meet to worship God, fellowship together, and encourage each other in The Way (how to love God through our lives). I think they will flip when I tell them I've been accepted away from home. I know the leader and his wife will think that it is NOT God's will, but I believe it is. All I can think of is the scripture that God gives us more than we can ask or imagine. I just would not have been able to imagine that I might truly be accepted into the particular program I applied for.
Sure....I was imagining Stanford! But that was such a reach that I could dream it up as a fantasy, a delightful diversion from daily troubles, an example of an ideal, a wishful fancy. But the program I applied to......the degree is a bit different and not what I originally thought about.....but the particular advisor and his work with people and their lives......now THAT is something worth working for.
The recommendation that got it for me was incredible. It is all true, but written in a way that really made me stand out. I regret I did not get that program director/professor/dean to write more recommendations for me!!! But by God's grace, I had her write this one. AND I had her write to the Ford Foundation AND the NSF research fellowship. Good heavens, what if God decides to funnel that money towards me????!!! How awesome would THAT be? It is thousands and thousands of dollars for research over the course of four years. I could definitely afford to go to an Indian Reservation or go to China and study lives. We'll see.
I need to stop writing emails and blogs and start writing PAPERS! But oh gee, that might be REAL work! And even though I am now accepted for a PhD, suddenly I don't want to do any work???? NOT very logical!
I definitely need to hone my thinking skills. I am all over the place and that won't work for graduate education. I am an excellent undergraduate, that is for sure. My age helps! There are some definite pluses that come with aging!
But as a graduate? I will have the opportunity to study with fine minds. Oh that will be so fun! I may come off as the village idiot, but what a great time I will have in discussions of ideas, philosophy, and policy. And everyone there being above average intelligence. Not like going to Walmart or something.
I'm not one that needs rocket scientists (in fact, rocket science might bore me), but I like people who do not take life at face value, who ponder things, who suppose things.
I watched a movie called "12 Angry Men" with Jack Lemmon and one of the characters says, "I don't do much 'supposing'. I leave that to my boss. I'm just a workin' man."......and I think that exemplifies what I mean. Interestingly, then the character comes out to talk to the group and brings up motives----a deeper level than just surface. So that gave him more depth.
OK, OK, I'll go write something official on one of the 12 papers I have to write before April 28th!
I graduate May 6th.