occupation: prophet

Before: I like this cup. 

Two years in: This ceramic cup I have, made by a very talented woman, fits my hand in a way that is really satisfying. I have never really thought about how beer glasses are probably designed for people with bigger hands than me. That’s neat.

One is a nice gesture and a first step. The other requires effort, intent, and an informed creator ideally.

2010 - was unhappily married, working in a cubical farm for Yellow Pages, under-medicated, near 300 lbs, suicidal, learned to knit.

2011 - neurological disorder diagnosis, left my job, became homeless, had to give up my dog, on public assistance, re-took community college courses so I could apply to college, lost 30 pounds,  helped my friend David as he slowly died from brain cancer, went on a cross country road trip, acknowledged my spouse was abusive and my relationship was terrible.

2012 - agoraphobia peaked, terrified all the time, prescribed Ativan, got accepted to a private liberal arts college, left my spouse, tried to get divorced, lost 40 pounds, started college, started to learn Latin.

2013 - started working in the archives, started having interests again, spent the summer living with strange seminary students, became a McNair Scholar, moved into a shared house during the school year, had actual friends, officially got divorced, traveled to Wyoming to see mountains for the first time, stopped speaking to my now ex-husband.

2014 - lived with best friends during the summer, no longer suicidal, did my first research project for McNair, presented at my first conference, declared bankruptcy, got a passport.

2015 - went to London with school for 4 months, got my second tattoo (re:David and Latin), went to Ireland and Italy, stopped attending Quaker Meeting, did second McNair Project, more conferences, live with best friends in the summer again, got an apartment with Imani (officially no longer homeless), took the GRE, applied to grad school, learned how to bake a pie.

2016 - accepted to grad school with a full ride, obtained my BA, started grad school, got official PTSD diagnosis.

2017 - went to London on my own for fun, went to Canada on my own to stay with friends, started working for a state art program, choose my dissertation topic, got my mental health care under control, moved in with my current housemate.

2018 - car caught on fire, took Spanish classes, obtained my MA, went to Canada again, officially left the Religious Society of Friends, prescribed an effective anti-depressant, learned how to make bread and cross-stitch, taught for the first time (and loved it), bought a car.