Best Damn Decision I Ever Made

When I was in high school I vowed as soon as I graduated, I would never ever go back through those double doors unless it was absolutely mandatory. I never wanted to be one of those people who comes back in as if they never graduated and expects people to go crazy over the fact that they are in there.

I went back to Profile three times this year.

The first time was because my favorite teacher, Mrs. Innes, had something to give me and I had books to donate to her classroom. I also wanted to say goodbye to her because I was leaving for college the next day.

The second time was because I was re-applying to college and needed to ask Mrs. Frank how to send my A.P. scores. It wasn't bad because I snuck in and out pretty easily without having to talk to anybody.

And then I went in today. It was on a whim. I was doing a little cleaning and realized I had a bunch of books I've already read just laying around. So I picked them up, straightened my hair, brushed my teeth, and drove to Profile to see Mrs. Innes.

I walked through the doors and saw the same janitor I see every single time I go in who still can't remember that I dropped out of college, so I re-explained it. I saw Don, who said, "Hello, Friend," and smiled, and that made me feel good because he called me Friend. Sometimes I feel like I don't have many friends.

I said hi to Zack in the library, and overheard some redneck kid talking about how he was fooling his substitute teacher by going to get a drink and just wasn't going to go back to class. What an amateur.

You say you have an appointment and that you gave a note to the office. Dumbass.

Anyway, I walked into Mrs. Innes's room and she did a double take at me. She hugged me, and we talked. I was so happy to see her again.

She knew I had left school, and asked me what I've been doing since then. Since I left Colby-Sawyer, I haven't really had enough time to think about what I've done, I've just done it. But as I was sitting there in her classroom talking about it, it was strange to hear it all.

I left school and went to work. Every day.

Then I found another job at the Ski Club at Cannon Mountain.

So since I was making money, I moved out of my dad's house and into my own apartment.

Then I adopted a doggie.

And moved out of my apartment and into a beautiful cabin.

I bought plane tickets to go visit my sister for 2 weeks.

And I start school again at the end of this month at the community college.

It was interesting to look at and realize how much I've done since I left college. I grew up.

Fast.

It made me start thinking, because I often feel slightly embarrassed of what people think of me since I'm labeled as a college dropout. But, I realized, if I didn't leave school, I wouldn't have had the chance to do everything I did this year.

There are two times in my life, I can think of, where I made the decision to do something that everyone told me not to do.

The first time was in tenth grade, when I dropped American Studies.

The second time was when I left college.

I gotta say, that was the best damn decision I ever made.