DISCOVER ATL TEEN LIFE

1. What are you doing during this pandemic to stay positive, and what has helped you the most?

Retiring during the pandemic has been really strange, and I admit that I have found myself at “loose ends” quite a bit, trying to adjust from a life that was very structured and busy to one that is much less structured and often feels that I am not doing a lot that is worthwhile.  With that said, I know that I am very, very fortunate and privileged in so many ways.  I think the thing I have loved the most is spending time with my husband who is also retired.  We’ve always been close but having the time to talk, watch certain television programs together, and engage in other joint activities has been wonderful. We walk, usually with our precious dog, Wyatt, about two to four miles a day when possible.  I love that we are close to restaurants, our church, the Duck Pond, and Barking Hounds Doggie Day Care where Wyatt loves to go. I wear my mask everywhere and try to be responsibly safe in all that I do. We socialize with friends, usually on our patio where we can practice social distancing and enjoy each other’s company. I love history and current events and have been quite involved politically.  I love to read fiction and nonfiction as well as many magazines and newspapers.  I’m serving on two boards and trying to contribute positively in making our world a better place as best I can.  

2.If you could go back in time, what advice would you say to your high school self?

Believe it or not, I was a rather shy kid—an extrovert who nevertheless lacked confidence in myself socially and often felt awkward.  I loved my church youth fellowship, playing clarinet in our huge high school band, and being active in Girl Scouts.  I definitely was not “in with the in-crowd,” and at times it really bothered me. I “grew up” rather slowly socially and intellectually and was probably a pretty linear thinker until at least college.  I would tell myself just to enjoy being who I was, not worrying about my “status” with my peers, realizing that I was “building” toward the rich, abundant life that I have had as an adult.

3. If you were applying to college now, what advice would you give to yourself?

I would tell myself to relax, take the process a step at a time, and believe that it would work out incredibly well.  I would try hard not to compare myself to any other student--not my intellectual abilities, my test scores, my personality, or my activities and leadership.  I hope I would be able to understand that we don’t have any idea when we are in high school how successful we will be as adults, that success has many forms (not just making a lot of money), and that we all have abilities that the world sorely needs.  I would try to stay open-minded about the kinds of colleges I would consider, including looking at some “hidden gems,” ones that might not be as well-known but often are life changing and might be much better “fits” for me.  Once my college counselor was named, I would establish a relationship with him or her, knowing that my counselor would support me and help me tremendously if I do what I should and trust the process. I would also try to “grow” that relationship through my senior year, responding quickly when my counselor contacted me and meeting as often as we mutually perceived the need. I would research colleges of interest so that I would know well what they offer, visit them personally before senior year if possible so that I had a good “feel” for what might be my best fits, and attend any college fairs available. I would do my best to meet all the deadlines, starting my applications by the summer before senior year so that, hopefully, I would have my Common App essay in as good form as possible before school started and would work on supplementary essays as soon as they were available too.  I would make sure that I had talked with my parents about their parameters (financial, philosophical, geographical, or whatever ones they have) about where I could apply and possibly go. I also would also try to keep them abreast of what I was feeling, thinking, or doing so that they wouldn’t get too nervous (being a parent in the process can be very hard) and would ultimately let me go where I feel would be best for me.  I would apply to a range of schools (difficult to get in, realistic, and ones my counselor and I feel certain I would be admitted) so that hopefully I would have several good choices in the end.  I would resolve to continue to work hard the rest of senior year, forming good study habits that would help me do well in college, and that I would act responsibly in and out of school so that I wouldn’t create any unexpected difficulties for myself. Finally, I would try to understand that applying to college and going there would just be one step toward becoming the person I want to be, ultimately doing my best to make the world a better place as much as possible.