Independence day is upon us!

Blogging from Bruce
June 30, 2008
Vonda Tedford-Keon

Independence Day is fast approaching. I'm not necessarily talking the Fourth of July here. I'm talking about the day you go off to live on your own in a dorm room for your first taste of life away from from the old parental units.

Oh how things have changed since I went off to college in 1971. Momma and Daddy loaded up their car with my stuff and I followed them down to Columbus in my car which was also stuffed full of the necessities of college dorm life. That was the first time any of us saw the dorm I was to call my home for that year and about the only time Momma and Daddy came to campus until graduation day four years later. Back then the things that were necessary were a popcorn popper, a stereo and all of my favorite albums, a trunk for my sheets and towels and other none clothing items and clothes and shoes and books.

Fast forward to 2008 and universities now have Family Orientation days. For one night and one day Moms and Dads get to experience the dorm room and some activities and most importantly the food plan. Ariel and Scott and I were signed up for our Orientation day the 19th and 20th of June. I was excited to be staying in my old dorm Kincannon. I have such good memories of that dorm. And there are some not so stellar moments but by and large it was a great dorm that year.

I don't remember the beds being that high off the floor. They are adjustable so you can put the 3 drawer chest under your bed to create more space. The mattresses are plastic so every time I rolled over it sounded like I was laying on a pile of wal-mart bags. And how could I have forgotten that train! I suddenly flashed back to 1973 and now many times that engineer was
going to hang on that whistle and just how many streets there were for him to cross. The next day after we left campus, I promptly found the nearest Bed Bath and Beyond and we got a memory foam egg crate pad, a pillow top mattress cover AND a 2 inch thick feather bed. My back was killing me after one night of attempting to sleep on that excuse for a mattress. I
don't want Ariel to start out life with a bad back!

The rooms come with a really nice sized microwave and refrigerator/freezer combo so that is different and record players are obsolete so all she needs is her MP3 player and her laptop. We are sending a printer scanner along so she won't have to stand in line to print her papers.

The key to living in a dorm is economization. With such a small living space today's college kids have to really look at what is important and absolutely necessary. Living in a dorm is like living in a fish bowl. What the heck is privacy? She is going to be sharing a bath room with 3 other girls instead of just one here at home. She is going to have to pick up her own clothes and wash them in the dorm laundry. She is going to have to make sure she has enough toilet paper and keep the
floor cleaned because the campus does not provide a housekeeper.

I will miss my oldest daughter as she makes this transition to dormitory life and college. She is so ready to get out of the house and try on independence. She is ready to make new friends, and have new experiences, study new subjects, learn some new skills. I can't help but worry but I know she has to do it all on her own just like my Mom and Dad had to let me.
I had to learn to get up in the morning and to study on my own. If I didn't make it to the cafeteria to eat, oh well. I was the one responsible for my clean clothes and sleep habits and getting the class work in on time. Which is not to say that I didn't hear my Mom's voice in my brain telling me that it was time to do such things. Maybe Ariel will be hearing me prodding her along too.

Oh Yeah, Independence Day is upon us.