Cashier by Day, Batgirl by Night

After much thought, I have finally decided to create a personal blog. Not because I feel like I can reach millions of people, nor because I feel that I am hysterically funny or witty, but because life as I know it is not what I had planned. After leaving college, reality knocked on my door and made me realize that we have little control over what happens in our lives. Instead of getting ready to finish my BA in psychology this upcoming fall, I'm a cashier at a local retail chain, working part time, living with my parents, and starting to laugh at the joys, sorrows, accomplishments, embarrassments, and worries that encompass my life. And that's okay.

To start off with, I'm a 21 year old young woman, living in the Midwest, and may come across as typically common. Yes, my job is ordinary, my hair is blond like so many others, and I'm drowning in my college debt. On the other hand, I'm a caregiver of my mother, who is disabled, an active advocate on many issues, a hoarder of books and textbooks of all kinds, a fighter of chronic pain/illness, a creative soul, a magnet to mishaps, and a slightly obsessed Coach fanatic.

To start things off, my mother came home from the hospital yesterday. She was in the ICU for a few days due to her kidney failure and uncontrolled diabetes. She celebrated her 47th birthday in the hospital with my father, sister, grandmother and I. The family and I spent the entire day trying to make the day special. I hunted down pink tulips (her favorite flowers), carrot cake, and a book by Maya Angelou, her favorite author. The hospital made her angel food cake and all of the nurses/staff sang "Happy Birthday" to her in the evening. The best surprise came when an old friend came for a visit, a visit that has been overdue for 10+ years. We talked late into the night, 2 or 3am, until my "aunt" and her husband left for the hour drive home.

It's great to have Mom well enough to come home but I'm already anxious about having to watch over her as she's weaker than ever and cannot get up to take care of herself (such as feeding herself, bathing, walking, etc). Hopefully, this time period will end quickly. I miss seeing my beautiful mother who had such an independent spirit garden, bike from Indianola, IA to Des Moines, and put on glamorous high-heels before rushing to work. She still has the same spirit; we just have to help her find it again.

I have work later today after my counseling session. I see a therapist, Jenny, once a week. She helps me process the demands of everyday life, cope with anxiety, and provides an environment to rant about silly stuff, such as dealing with rude guests in the store and the crappy May weather in which it snowed for over two days. Surprisingly, it helps.

Later, I'll go into more detail about who I am (Hermione Granger meets Harley Quinn), my living conditions (I'm writing from a Days Inn), and my quirky interests (Batman, Ellie Goulding, Disney, Post-It-Notes, etc). Until then, this is Uniquely Common.