More proof that "I am so smart! S-M-R-T!"

Love that gem from Homer J.

Usually, I say it when I've done something intellectually lackluster, as opposed to brilliant.

But tonight, it's a bit of a shallow victory chant.

Last Saturday I was frantically writing my essay for the 2nd unit of my class. (Note for new readers: I'm only taking one class at a time, which is really weird for this overachiever. But, to redeem myself, it is a Master's level class) Anyway, back to the fanaticism.

Charlie Brown was home, so in theory, I should have been all set in writing this paper. Theory and reality clearly didn't align or mesh as the rantings of LMNOB and the crashings of Punkinhead were still VERY noticeable, and hopelessly distracting. Long story short, I rushed a paper with kids simultaneously climbing, yelling, and whining all over me. I was not pleased with the resulting, multi-tasked paper, noting a few redundant word uses, and sentences whose noun/verb agreements weren't pristine...but, for any semblance of family peace, I turned in the paper (online) in its less than stellar (in my opinion) format.

Ever since, I have been chewing on my fingers, just convinced that I totally blew this one.

Well, grades were posted tonight.

I GOT ANOTHER 18!! ANOTHER A -!!!

And not just any A-. Last time the instructor said that the paper was "good," and "interesting."

This time she says, emphasis mine:

Heather, I think you've written a very good essay on this Big Question. It covers a lot of ground, and it demonstrates a sophisticated and wise [interesting how those words mean the same thing at root, but convey such different ideas!] understanding of the material you've read in preparation for it. You've already achieved a high level of critical thinking skills, in that you don't recite platitudes nor accept ideas without assessing them. We can always push forward on this frontier (critical thinking), though. For example, you might ask yourself about the theory that underlies the American view of politics (hint: it's the same as our underlying view of economics) and how that theory affects our view of administration.

I'm so GIDDY!!! Yay!!!

I CAN juggle all of the big M's in my life!! Of course, this stands to mean that I have received some validation, but am not likely to get all cocky and sure of myself. I am much too self-doubting for that.

One thing I can say...

It's not all me.

God put me here. He's been planning this all along. He put just the right job experiences - that I NEVER in a million years would have seen myself in 10 years ago - and the right life experiences (my childhood, and the inherent desire to help others in those situations) all together. And then, He planted a seed, not of doubt but of curiosity, about whether I could do it within me.

And then, things just sort of came about most Providentially.

1. Just the right, very random exposure to this program piqued my interest, and then later interrelated into my work experience in multiple ways - GSPA is doing the data analysis of the Homeless Count, and the MPA is a direct tie-in to my work
2. My admissions app hung around for 1 year + - an anomaly that saved me $$ on transcripts and time on Letters of Recommendation.
3. The whole scholarship gig

Now that I'm in the program, God hasn't stopped providing. In fact, He's guiding me, helping me juggle the big M's in my life right now (see top of the blog). LOVE that Big Guy, I do. He's pretty helpful in dealing with life's whammies.