As relocating to a tropical locale is currently beyond my financial means, I did the next best thing. I purchased a Toy Story Action Heroes Adventure Pool, with which I have created my own backyard oasis. At Toys R Us I had been confronted with the difficult choice between said Toy Story pool and a Lightening McQueen pool, but ultimately chose the former because it came with a canon. Seriously. A canon to which one can connect one’s hose in order to launch water across the yard.  Perhaps the choice wasn’t so difficult after all… In the end, I knew I had made the right choice because I incited envy in the small boy behind me in the check-out line.

“Why can’t I have a pool like that,” He asked his mother.

“I bet that lady’s little boy has been really good,” She replied. “Maybe if you’re really good we can talk about it.”

The little boy switched his attention to me. “Is your little boy really good?”

“I don’t have a little boy,” I admitted.  ”I’m buying this for me.”

He blinked, slightly bemused, and then grinned widely. I’m probably the coolest adult that kid has met in a long time.  In any case, he nodded approvingly.

I’m still a child at heart, and I hope I never lose the ability to sit proudly in my Toy Story pool. Growing up is strange in that regard. As much as we must mature and readjust our goals and priorities as we become responsible, independent adults,  I think it’s important to keep a youthful spirit. But I find the balance a little tricky at times. About two weeks ago, I had a crazy freak-out moment. I realized that, despite taking several educational detours, I may actually graduate next summer. And the thought of it scares the pants off of me.

What the hell am I going to do with an English degree?

Regardless, I had planned to go straight to graduate school after finishing my degree, but I didn’t realize I was going to have to start making the hard decisions about where and when and how quite so soon. I’m stunned, actually.  The scariest thing is that it’s all out of my control. If I can’t get into all the required classes I need, I wont graduate. I almost prefer that idea. Tagging on an additional semester would allow me to finish up three minors; excessive, but it would certainly make it seem as though I’d been very studious over the past couple of years.  I guess I’ll start my grad school applications and leave some room for serendipitous developments; whenever I plan my life too carefully, God laughs and throws me a curve ball.

In the meanwhile, I’ll be finishing my novel and drinking beer in my wading pool. The coolest thing about being an adult is that you don’t have to ask anyone to buy you wading pools or beer. (Okay, maybe those are lower on the top-ten list.)