and just that quick

I survived another semester. My first in almost two years. Three general ed classes--Physics/Astronomy, Business Statistics, and Humanities. Three very different from each other general ed classes. I don't know what the grades will be. I don't know that I'm too worried about them. I feel good about the effort and suspect the grades will be satisfactory. And now I'm only five classes from graduating with an associate's degree in economics.

And, in case you didn't notice, I'm breathing again. My nose is once again above water.

In case I sound, oh, I don't know how I sound, but lately I've been thinking about certain aspects about relationships. Some relationships are complicated--for example, long-term relationships can be very complicated because you have a long time to mess with them, whether it's a couple relationship or a parent-child relationship, or even a relationship with an inanimate object like a job. I mention jobs, because job relationships are not so simple. You can do your best work, but if you have a crappy boss, your work goes unnoticed, your opportunity for advancement declines, and your satisfaction with the relationship dies. Or you can have a good job, find satisfaction in your work, be in the right place at the right time and be recognized or promoted. There's a bit of effort and a bit of chance and maybe some fairy dust.

But then there are those relationships like the one between grammas and their darlings. Kids aren't fake. You always know how they feel about you and they know how you feel about them. You can't make them love you or want to be with you. They'll refuse, turn away, scream out. At least until they get to that age when their parents can teach them to be nice to that crazy gramma.

Dogs are like that too. If a dog likes you, it is immediately apparent--by the wagging tail, the leaps and happy dog sounds that you enjoy everytime the dog greets you.

In a way, school is like that too. In general, I think you get out of it, what you put into it. Oh, I suppose you could cheat your way to good grades, but you get out of it what you put into it. I'd like to think that there are no teacher's pets in college, that the teachers simply enjoy working with students who are engaged and want to be in school to learn.

And that's why I see similarities between a school relationship and the simple, easy relationship I have with those adorable little girls who throw open their arms at the sight of someone they are happy to see.

And that's how I feel about this semester. I got out of it what I put into it. And I was happy to see it and it was happy to see me. And now, we're on separate vacations, that school relationship and me. But we both agreed to it. So it's good.