I'm Not Josie Grossie Anymore at GTCC

I wrote the following post almost exactly a year ago, and it's still very true today. On Monday I return back to Greensboro's finest institution of higher learning: GTCC, for what will hopefully be my last year. (I've been enrolled there since 1995) It's odd how so much is the same this year, but how so much has changed just over the summer. The summer of change they call it. I've seen the pyramids, Cairo and Belgium, wrote another book, visited NASA, drove half-way across the U.S. and now, I'm ready to go back. I now feel at home on campus these days, and can't wait to get back to my friends, and learning. I'm stunned now by the idea of other people who stay stagnant during their summers. I've changed so much over this summer, and will return to campus a far different person than I left it. If  I might, I think I can say that I truly am no longer Josie Grossie Anymore. Either that, or I'm embracing it.

August 6, 2010,

Let me tell you something, I don't care about being your stupid prom queen. I'm 25 years old. I'm an undercover reporter for the Chicago Sun Times and I've been beating my brains out trying to impress you people. Let me tell you something Gibby, Kirsten, Kristin, you will spend your lives trying to keep others down because it makes you feel more important. All of you people, there is a big world out there... bigger than prom, bigger than high school and it won't matter if you were the prom queen, the quarterback of the football team, or the biggest nerd in school. Find out who you are and try not to be afraid of it.

Remember the movie "Never been Kissed" starring Drew Barrymore as a journalist who goes deep undercover for a story posing as a high-school student? I honestly never thought I'd say this, but in about a week I'm going to be doing the same thing. Okay, it's not high-school, it's college, and I'm not 25... I'm 30 something, and I know there will be older daft people such as myself in attendance, but it doesn't lessen the impact of the whole experience, of what's about to happen, seem any less frightening. ((Galileo) Galileo (Galileo) Galileo, Galileo Figaro Magnifico-o-o-o-o ..)

Rob Geller: All you need is for one person to think you're cool, and you're in. Everyone else will be scared to question it.

See I'm going back to the college I started at 15 years ago. Back then we didn't have semesters, we had quarters. We didn't have laptops nor the Internet, nor did I have to worry about getting my own kids off to school, feeding the family or paying rent. Somethings haven't changed though. I've spent more time in-line ("in queue" for the rest of the world) just registering and going through orientation than I'll ever want to again in my life. The classes look over capacity, and supplies are outrageously overpriced. Books for $150+ a pop? Seriously? It's bloody paper! Unlike my first attempt at college, I no longer require shiny new text books. The 11.99 EBay-special missing chapters 8 and 6 is okay.

The most important aspect is this time I don't have to worry about being kissed. I got that over the first time. If I do find myself kissing someone it might mean I have even more study time on my hand, so that distraction- including the need for a Camaro with a functioning backseat seems less of a requirement this time.

Gibby Zerefski: You totally ripped off my Malibu Barbie idea!
Kirsten Liosis: Nuh-uh, I'm Disco Barbie!
Kirsten does a funky dance move
Kristin Davis: And I'm Evening Wear Barbie.
Kristin flips her hair.

It should be interesting. I've set no goals. If I pass or fail, if I die trying, or simply don't care anymore; my only goal is to go and hopefully learn something I don't know now. I'm looking forward to meeting people. As many of you know, I love people- different colors, different shapes, different stories - and I'm so looking forward to be in this new environment.

I recall the day of orientation a few weeks ago when I sat down and was asked by a communications professor, (one I had 15 years ago,) a slightly Gene Wilder- female version of Willy Wonka who seemed a few french fries short of a Happy Meal, "how do you expect college to be different than High School", assuming I was perhaps a younger demographic than I was. In my head I wanted to say "more drugs and sex", but I instead referred to my corporate training and said "the opportunity to be a better person." I got the gold-star for the day and impressed McProfessor.

So here I am. My book is done and out. Greensboring's code has been updated and cleaned. The lawn is mowed, the parking pass is on the car. I've got my student ID, and I'm one week away from going back to school. The next chapter in my life begins...

Somebody once said, "To write well, you have to write what you know." Well, here is what I know...