Old Lady Jackson

Fifteen years ago…

1. It was 1994.

2. I had just graduated from The University of Texas, and gotten my first ‘real’ job!

3. I was teaching 6th grade English at Lamar Middle School, and I remember that some punk-ass kid called me ‘Old Lady Jackson’ on the 3rd week of school. Funny how I remember silly things like that. I was in my element in this job. I loved it.

4. I was living alone for the first time ever. My apartment was tiny, my furniture was crappy, my bathroom stayed messy, and my refrigerator could have been featured on an episode of ‘Hoarders’ on A&E… but it was all mine. And I loved it.

5. I bought my first brand new car, all by myself. I even went to the dealership alone. I’m sure I paid way too much for my little Saturn sedan because I didn’t know that ‘let me check with my manager’ actually means: ‘let me go over here and laugh with my manager about this chick whose about to pay sticker price for a new car!’ It didn’t matter. It was mine, and I loved it.

6. I had been dating Phil for about 3 and a half years at this point. He still lived in a big house with a bunch of his fraternity brothers. Brothers, who, I might add, were always gracious enough to help me grade worksheets so we could get to the game, the tailgate party, or start drinking beer sooner.

7. We drank a lot of beer.

8. I got a tattoo on my ankle. I’m still not sure why I did it. I guess because I could. And honestly, after a week or so of “buyer’s remorse” and a little ‘what the $#@* was I thinking?!’, I loved it.

Are you noticing a trend in this particular year? It was my year of declaring independence, I guess. The beginning of my new post-graduation life.

And I loved it. ;)