Trial Independence

I think that's what they should be adding to the "Varsity Indepence" label when they are busy recruiting you to jump onto the Academics band wagon. I can still remember a time, way back in the day when I was still a minor at boarding school and people were forever singing about the "Freedom" that they would get once they leave their parents homes. All the talk was about the partying, the drinking, thick books, mean Professors, the skommies and vulture-like seniors who would forever be on th e prowl for young fledglings like ourselves, yet still, all the that the birdies wanted to do was leave the nest!
To say that this newly found indepence is far from what they said it would be is an understatement. Seriously. I mean, for sho! you gonna get all your party animals and smokers and weirdos and crazies and churchies and what ever else there might be, but there is a heck of a lot more than that to it.

School is very sheltered and protected and very safe. Out here.. Well, we all know it's quiet different out here. Most people get a BIG reality check once they leave home because you realise that it's not all flowers and roses and the world's definitly Not your oyester. Its far from it. It is all just Hustling n huslin' n huslmentation every where. A rat race to get a piece or a chunk of the cheese.
I am not even going to bore you with "college stories" or hum you some "varsity blues" tune, Nah, none of that. But I will let you in on something that worked brilliantly for me:
Gap Year.
Now, hear me out before you start thinking I'm going to teach you how to be bum.

You see, for me, Varsity was and is simply a ticket to get to my destiny. My destiny is like, the place where I believe I am meant to be at to fulfill my life's purpose most effectively. So when I talk about my dream, I am talking about some thing that am already living on a daily basis even though a have not "made it" yet. ( They say you need to walk like 'it", talk like "it", think like it to be "it".)

Gap year gave me the chance to have my trial independence with out that many strings attached. I did the occassional part time academic course, worked here and there, volunteered and really just kept myself busy with things that were goin' to build my character. All of this happend under the mentorship of other responsible young adults.(20s)
I had the time to find me, embrace me and figure out who me is in relation to the world. I made a few mistakes, but none of which were beyond correction and I decided that I was going to live for a specific purpose, not just the "rat race". I wanted meaning and I wanted to leave a legacy one day so taking a gap year allowed me the time I needed to mature, refine and align myself and my dreams into something that I feel is a huge part of me and I am really passionate about.

I had it good really, having completed school a year early, I just joined a group of young volunteers, asked people(businesses, friends, fam, parentals) 4 regular sponsorships and went travelling and doing community work etc. A friend of mine stayed at home and worked at super markets etc. Another did part time courses and waitressed.

Now I am in first year and from the get go, I felt Much better equipped to handle all of this. I walked around feelin' like I was steady and rooted somewhere.
Now this all sounds great and dandy for those who can, but for those of us who are really restricted by something else and just can't, like seriously can't take a gap, don't sweat it. You will just have to do this first year thing just like it has always been done before you: With the utmost care and a series of bloopers, scams and smoothies.:)

Me? I was just saying that y'all should remember that this ain't "Freedom day- remixed", it just "Trial Independence": an era of discovery and learning the steps to this life dance, not the performance evening. You still gotta show that you Gots this papie!! You gots to have this to be on broadway!
Dreamer