Aim for the Stars
For as long as I can remember, I have been intensely fond of reading, a lover of literature and a collector of books, both fiction and non-fiction. This love affair I believe was partly borne of my difficult upbringing. Books became my solace and my comfort in times of torment; a means of escape from a haunted reality...
When I wasn't reading, while most kids were preoccupied with the latest toys, I was pretending to be a librarian with a stack of books and a pen to scan the make-believe bar codes. Does anybody else remember the old school scanner from the Toowoomba City Library that looked like a pen?! I loved that thing!
Aside from my librarian play, I often dreamed of becoming a famous writer some day. I knew if I was to be handed an unconditional wish that would enable me to be made into absolutely anything in the world, I would choose to be an author.
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In 2005 I completed the first term of Year 11 before terminating my high school education at the age of 16. My marks were brilliant and I loved the learning environment of school, I just could not handle the daily bullying a single moment longer.
My previous blogs have detailed the majority of what happened next so I won't rehash those events here but suffice it to say, I all but flushed my writer dream down the sewer pipes.... or so I thought!
The past 18 months, and indeed even the months prior to that, when I first commenced my university admissions test and essay in 2018, I was supported and encouraged every step of the way.
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This month I completed the remainder of my prerequisite university courses and applied for my Bachelor of Arts Degree, majoring in Creative and Critical Writing. Applications normally take around 10 days to be processed so imagine my surprise when a commonwealth supported place offer showed up in my inbox the very next day! I squealed and jumped up and down with excitement, leaping into the arms of my champion, cheerleader and soul mate!
I am so very excited for this next chapter of my life and enormously grateful to be so completely enveloped in love. My mother has also always told me I was destined for a career in writing but, not having the greatest self esteem, I mostly passed her comments off as being biased. After all, every parent thinks their child is amazing, right?! It wasn't until I retained a perfect GPA score of 7.0 throughout my prerequisite studies that I began to actually realise, "Hey, I just might have something here and I really can make this happen if I give it my all!"
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To her who first encouraged my reading obsession, bought me books I still own to this day and took me on weekly outings to the local library to exchange my gigantic stacks of books; she who still has every one of my children's books written for the Book Week competitions in primary school and who spent countless hours laying beside me on my bed in the evenings, listening to me read out loud- thank you. I have endless gratitude to you for passing down your own personal adoration of written works and for fostering the flickering sparks of perceived talent you glimpsed within me over the years. I don't think I would be at this huge milestone without you and I'm blessed to be your daughter.
I am looking forward to the future and the furthering of my passions. My heart is more at peace than it has been in years! ❤
Wow, brilliant, I for one couldn't be happier or prouder of you my darling daughter, you have certainly got this!! xx
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