Forever Young

Yesterday in a meeting with Ron, he asked another intern, Julia, what she will be next year in school and she replied, "a Junior". Right after he asked me, he had remembered I have already graduated and responded for me with, "a real person". Although obviously that is just a saying and of course I have always been a "real person" the meaning behind it terrifies me. The "real person" he speaks of is the me that is a college graduate, will eventually be employed full-time, paying my own bills, living in my own house, and eventually having and supporting my own family.

I am envious of all the other interns here who will be headed back to school come August & September, whereas I have no plan and no idea what I will be doing or where I will be...and I don't like that sometimes. It's scary to not have a plan... especially because I've never not known what I will be doing when August comes. It's always been back to school for me. What now? I have no idea. I'm excited to find out but I also fear it won't turn out the ways I want...and in reality the chances of that are pretty big. That is something Ron has talked to us about a lot lately. Helping us come to terms with the fact that its very likely we won't be getting our dream jobs...at least not yet. As much as I understand that and agree with him it's very hard for me to 'settle' when I know what kind of job/company I really want.

As Summer continues, I realize more and more that this is no longer summer vacation for me...its now just another season. I feel like my life has just zipped by the past years and I can't believe my time has come to grow up and enter into the real world.
But as Ron chases his dog around the office with a squirt gun I have hope that growing up doesn't necessarily mean leaving childhood behind forever. I know I will always have the spirit of a little kid even though I will one day be be employed full-time, living on my own and eventually having a family of my own. As I grow older, I will become smarter and wiser...but I will always be a kid at heart, that I can be certain of.

Kim Wilson
PR Intern