My Inner Nerd

Growing up, my mom took it upon herself to make sure that her two girls would not go through the summer without continuing their education. 

Every June, she'd bring us to the local educational supply store and purchase workbooks and flashcards and educational cassettes, all to ensure that my sister and I would have plenty to keep us busy throughout the three months of summer.  I think that her fear was that we'd forget everything we learned during those months off and then be a few steps behind when we'd return to school in August. 

Having only a High School degree, my mom wanted to make sure that she gave her daughters every opportunity that she could by teaching them the importance of education, making them life long learners, and dammit to hell, her girls were going to college.

My sister and I hated it. 

I can remember being SO annoyed that my mom would push these stupid workbooks on us during the summer.  None of the other kids had to do schoolwork!  Why did we have to???  Sister and I would whine and complain and "forget" to do our summer assignments and towards the end of the summer, my mom would get so frustrated with us that there was no getting around it.  We were going to sit down and finish these workbooks.  Through gritted teeth and plenty of eye rolling, we did.  My poor momma....

Fast forward several years....

Here I am now.  Summertime and finding myself in a complete funk this week.  I know that my funk is because of a combination of things and it mostly boils down to the fact that there's a whole lot of waiting going on.  In the past, I've usually gotten a summer job to keep me preoccupied but since we are two months away from our big move, finding a job right now doesn't seem to make a whole lot of sense.  There's no sense in packing since there is still two months.  My family is seven hours away and my bestie is three hours away.  And to top it all off, I have been feeling uninspired and like I have been losing some of my creativity.

So, just to get myself out of the house today, I found myself at the book store.  And, what do you think I start going on a desperate search for???  Workbooks.  I kid you not.  I found a grammar workbook, an inspiring doodle workbook, and a book of story prompts and exercises for writers. 

Yup.  Big nerd.  That's me.  I walked out of the store feeling so excited and on the hunt for new ink pens (you can't have a doodle book without new ink pens!).  I don't think my poor husband gets it but I'm pretty sure that he will be supportive of anything that will keep me busy and "funk" free.

So, thanks to my momma.  She has taught me to be a life-long learner, find ways to develop my creativity, and given me a truly nerdy appreciation for workbooks.