Quote: “My parents instilled a very strong work ethic in me from a young age, fortunately.” –Matthew Gray Gubler
Song: Butterfly Fly Away by Miley Cyrus
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Wow! It’s been awhile since I’ve blogged. I keep gathering ideas but then don’t have time to blog them. Why? Because I am in my final semester of college. In fact, I’m in my final 2 weeks. So I am quickly writing a blog between classes, performances and final exams.
I could make this big and inspirational. Or talk about my 4 years of college. But instead I’m gonna say thank you. Thank you to my parents. Because they raised me to survive.
This semester, and entire college experience, has been crazy. These last 15 weeks I’ve taken a full course load, 3 night classes, worked 20hrs per week, am graduating (so that prep), plus am producing my own show at the Hollywood Fringe Festival this summer. (Revelation, come see it….I wrote and directed it…and have an amazing cast…Tickets Here) This show also opens 8 hours (on the same day) after my final college performance. It’s been a heck of a ride and as I begin to hear my fellow grads say, “I’m not ready”, I want to thank my parents because I am ready.
Yes, I am soooo ready not only because of my parents but because of the amazing teachers I had in college, as well as all throughout my education. From kindergarten to right now, I’ve been instilled with discipline, confidence, common sense and a strong work ethic. But teachers deserve a whole other blog. This one is for my parents.
It’s no secret my parents and I haven’t always seen things eye to eye. But hey…they raised a strong daughter who learned to voice her opinion…..I think they should be proud of themselves. Now, from my point of view, I was a fairly easy kid to raise. I never drank underage, I didn’t speed when driving, I didn’t date any boys, I didn’t do drugs. They were lucky as I see it. I just argued with them on “important issues.” So from their point of view….I was a difficult teenager…. Pfttt that may be, but I turned into someone who can survive on my own.
Right from the get go my sister and I were raised to get by. We were never spoiled and were always taught to work for what we wanted. So when I decided to abandon ship and move to a different country for school, I worked 16 hour days every summer for 4 years…so I could afford what my 12 loans couldn’t cover. I found my own place, worked out credit, electricity, bills…I did it all. And I could do it all because I was never babied. I was taught from Day 1, this is how you live.
When I was a teenager, I remember wishing I had parents who would just simply buy me a car themselves, or offer to pay my tuition. But now, I am so grateful they didn’t. Because I learned how to do it on my own, and not only that, I can say I did it on my own. YES…my parents helped me!! And I still call my dad every time my car makes a weird noise or a light pops up. But I know that one day, they won’t be there to call anymore, and I’ll be okay. I know that because I’m graduating college and not freaking out. I am ready. I know what to do. I even know what to do when it doesn’t go as “planned” or “like they say it will”…I’ll just keep on going and working hard…because that’s what my parents taught me from day one. “Don’t sit around and wait for it to happen…make it happen. But you’ll have to work for it.”
Most animals teach their offspring to survive. The joke Papa Bear or Mama Bear doesn’t do my parents justice….they protected me like no other…but they also taught me how to survive.
Thanks Dad and Mom. Your oldest daughter is graduating college 🙂
ginaomilon 