In the Ache of Winter

Rejection is just as natural as Success. The only difference between them is that you need rejection to appreciate success.

Already, this spring semester has opened up a lot of opportunity for me to challenge myself mentally, socially, emotionally, and physically. Mentally, I'm always increasing my capacity to learn, breaking layers and layers of shells that are beyond my level of comfort. Having classes that engage me and entice me only motivate me to learn and work hard. The level of opportunity you can find in the Computer Science building on 141 Governor's drive is astounding; everyone wants to get their hands on some research.

Socially, I'm learning to "deal" with people, as the saying goes. I'm dealing with people I love, I'm dealing with people I know, and I'm dealing with people I meet and are acquainted with. It's no surprise to mention that people are all different and come from different places in your life, and the whereabouts and (whenabouts) with which you come together at a specific point in time is just another page in our lives, and another character to share. Fortifying friendships, building relationships, and revisiting relations all come into play in my social shell. The trick is to balance them all on your head.

Emotionally, the climb is worth the prize. Being a partner in a relationship means more responsibility. Although much of loving someone can be so natural (because it's one of our closest, native feelings), it requires thinking, working hard at building lines of communication with your partner. It's a long process. A lot of the time, frustration and anger can swell and burst, but we know that resolution follows. That's what I've been working on here. Emotionally, I have been trying to show my partner that she matters, that she is my friend, and that she makes me a better person. Emotionally, I have been breaking shells.

Physically, I'm a toss-up. I'm trying to get my time into the gym, but work prevails, and irrevocably, that's more important than lifting or running. It's okay, though. I just got to remember to ignore the peanut butter chocolate cake at the DC :)

So, we all carry on with our own lives, noting that we're changing from time to time. We can describe our revelations as infrequent, occasional, and sometimes unusual. It doesn't really matter in the end. That we can become aware and understand how our body and mind are changing as we go on with our routines tells us that we're traveling in the right direction.

And trust me, I know I'm traveling in the right direction.