The Plan

I was born into a plan.

When I was five, I started kindergarten. So did just about every five-year-old in America. It was part of the plan.

I continued to follow the plan as I grew older. When I was 11, I started middle school. At 13, I celebrated my Bat Mitzvah. This was all according to the plan.

Despite changing schools at grades five, seven, and ten, I was still on the plan. I graduated from high school when I was 18. This was a highlight of the plan.

While some plans stop after high school, the plan I was born into included college. This summer, I will finish my college degree.

The plan dictated my full-time job from age five through twenty-two: school. It's what was expected, and it's what I did. But, like the Mayan calendar, the plan will soon abruptly stop. Specific expectations end.

My family does not have a trade into which each child is expected to enter. There is not a city in which the majority of the family lives.

The plan ends here. While it's expected that I will make a living and support myself, there is not a specific plan like there was through age 22. From now on, it's uncharted territory.

Written by Little Me: "The Sick Eye"

In elementary school, we had an activity called Squiggle. The teacher would draw a simple shape in each child's notebook and then the child would turn it into a picture. Depending on the children's age and grade, a word, sentence, or whole story was written to go along with the picture.

This Squiggle and story are from May 12, 2000. I was in 2nd grade. I typed the story as it was written so you may notice some misspellings and punctuation omissions.

One day a little boy about one year old ate a big onion. Then his body didn't like it so his eyes poured tears. His mom came to him because she was at the table with the little boy along with the boy's dad. He came also. The mother and father took him to the doctor right then even though they hadn't finished their dinner. He wasn't there so the nurse helped them. There wasn't anyone else at the doctor's office so they went back into room seven and then the nurse asked the parents "What's wrong with your child?" "Well" said the mom "he ate an onion and started to have tears in his eyes. I guess he smelled it, mam." "Well, I guess you'll have to just let all the tears out of his eyes. If tears are still coming out tomorrow morning come back here. Doctor (my last name) will probably be here at about 7:30 or 8:00" said the nurse. The next day the boy's eyes were making tears still. So the parents had to take him to the doctor. Before they did the parents had to write what had happened to their son. At the top of the paper the mother wrote her son's name, Dilin Pickel. Then underneeth she wrote what happened. At the very bottom she sighned her name and Mr. Pickel sighned his. Then they went to Doctor (my last name)'s office. He looked at the paper. Then he gave Dilin a pill and right then the tears stopped! The End

Letters to Me: 15 Years Old

I read the book The Time Traveler's Wife in high school and loved it. The main character is a time traveler and sometimes gets to interact with a younger or older version of himself. What if I could talk to my past or future self? This is the first post in a new series tagged "letters to me".

Dear 15-year-old Sarah,

As you get ready to start your sophomore year at a new school, I want to give you some advice. This school year will start out harder than it will end, so don't get discouraged. You don't think you know many people, but you're wrong. Keep an eye out for your friends from elementary school, because they go to your high school! Get to know them again. They'll be among your best friends for the rest of high school and into your adult years.

Try out for basketball. I know last year was rough being the only freshman on varsity at your old school, but this year will be much better. You'll make new friends and have a great time. Everyone on your team will be a freshman or sophomore, so you'll actually be one of the older players. This won't matter, though, because your coach will be someone who really cares about you and your teammates and won't tolerate bullying or disrespectful behavior. Appreciate him and the other coaches. You'll get frustrated sometimes, but remember to be respectful.

Speaking of respectful, be kind to your teachers. I know it sometimes sucks to be at school all day and to have classes you are required to take, but you are so close to finished. Out of 13 years of required school, you're already done with ten! Enjoy the classes you like and carry a book in your backpack for classes that are boring. Don't be a smart ass to your teachers. Sit in your seat and either pay attention or read something interesting. You'll survive, I promise.

In these last three years, work hard at school. Doing mediocrely in high school will turn out fine in the long run, but if you can get excellent grades, you'll have more options when it's time to apply for college. You're smart and I know you're capable of doing very well, but it's going to require effort. Don't even bother trying to tell yourself you're stupid, because I know better.

Lastly, go to bed early. 7:30 is so early to be in school and I'm really impressed that you're able to make it day in and day out because in college an 8:55 class is considered early! Your life will be better if you get enough sleep. Turn off the computer and go to bed!

Best wishes for a wonderful sophomore year, Sarah! I know you are going to do great.

Yours truly,
22-year-old Sarah