Just Half An Hour

I like today’s prompt because just thinking about what I want to share makes me smile 🙂

Right from when I can remember dreaming about something I wanted to do or be, I decided I wanted to be a ballerina or ballet dancer.

Now that doesn’t seem like an impossible dream at all does it?

One might think, based on the Western view of Africa that just being a resident and indigent of that continent (and yes folks, Africa IS a continent…NOT a country… Sheesh…) would automatically make this dream impossible.

Not so…

Case in point – Michaela DePrince (a native of Sierra Leone, born Mabinty Bangura). She has a very inspiring story and was promoted from regular member to grand sujet and eventually to soloist at the Dutch National Ballet.

All that to say that, I didn’t think this was necessarily an impossible dream for me, except for…

Genetics…

You see, my parents gently tried to dissuade me from pinning my hopes too strongly on becoming a ballet dancer because they realized something I didn’t at the time…

Thanks to their combined genes, I was destined to not be small and petite!

For the longest time, I remember thinking that they were just being “dream crushers” and it eventually became a family joke; but sure enough, once my pre-teen and teenage years hit, it became all-too-evident…

When my teen years and growth spurt eventually ended, I came out at the other end at the grand height of 5-feet 10.75-inches… Not exactly the ideal height for a dainty ballerina.

LOL…!!

Life really has a way of showing you the wisdom of those who’ve gone before you and this was one of those.

Unfortunately, none of the typical careers that appeal to people who are blessed with the gift of height appealed to me…

No, I’m not a basketball player… No, I’m not a model… And no, I don’t aspire to be either of those two things (for everyone who automatically asks, because they assume that’s all tall people are relegated to do with our lives on account of our height).

So I decided to go to university and get a “proper” career instead. You can read all about it here 🙂

In Other News…

Thanksgiving in the U.S. is just around the corner and even though I don’t usually tend to get overly festive, this year just feels a bit different.

I decided it’s time for me to graduate from the “Friends-giving” stage of college days to the more traditional Thanksgiving.

So this year, I will officially be hosting a proper “grown-up” Thanksgiving!!

I am simultaneously excited and terrified. It’s a really strange sensation. But I’m determined to not get stressed out so I found recipes online for everything I plan to serve and have already done all the ingredient shopping!

I’m so proud of myself and all the ingredients I now own that I don’t anticipate I will use again in the near future…

Stay tuned for pictures, and hopefully, stories of a great and grand Thanksgiving success! 🙂

====================

Catch up on my previous posts for this challenge:

• Day 1 – Why I’m doing this challenge

• Day 2 – 10 random facts about me

• Day 3 – The story behind the name of this blog

• Day 4 – Quotable Quote… Why it speaks to me right now

• Day 5 – Recent random act of kindness

• Day 6 – Three current guilty pleasures

• Day 7 – Collections… What I collect and why

• Day 8 – Throwback Picture

• Day 9 – Recently read book recommendation

• Day 10 – Three Favorite Blogs

• Day 11 – Wishful Thinking… If I won the lottery

• Day 12 – Purpose of this blog and future blog goals

• Day 13 – What’s on today’s schedule?

• Day 14 – All about my profession

• Day 15 – My first international trip

• Day 16 – Something I miss from my childhood

====================

To see the complete list of writing prompts, go here.