Just great.

It's Monday and I feel fairly certain that I'm sick with what may very well be flu-like symptoms. I hope more than anything that I'm wrong. My insurance at work has yet to kick in, so I'm not really feeling a pay-out-of-my-pocket visit to the doctor.

Also, this morning as I was getting ready for work and realizing how miserable I felt, it finally dawned on me that the age of irresponsibility is over. I wanted so badly to climb back in bed and spend the day whining in front of the tv with a glass of sprite and a breakfast burrito - just like the college days....

Although I hate being sick, being sick in college was something I kind of came to enjoy. I stayed in my cozy little dorm all day and my roommate was exceptional at taking care of me. The tv never went off and I dozed in and out of consciousness all day long - waking up only long enough to eat or take meds. Sure, I felt miserable. But honestly, being sick is sometimes a great excuse to be lazy and just give in. It didn't matter what class I had when I felt ill in college - I would take days off without a care in the world and all the episodes of Golden Girls I could muster....

Now here I am in 2010. Out of college, married, and actually having a career working 40 hours a week. I realized this morning as I fought back whiny "I don't feel good" tears that I can't just play dead anymore. I'm responsible to be at work. No work = no pay. No more transitioning from bed naps to couch naps to bed naps all day again. No breakfast burritos and Golden Girls. Just the ill-satisfying "comfort" of a space heater and work assignments to fight off the miserable state I'm in.

I tell our youth all the time to "STAY IN COLLEGE AS LONG AS YOU CAN." Sometimes it's more of a joke, but as the days wear on I realize how good I had it in college.

So, yes children, go to college. Change you major 57 times. If you graduate, get another bachelors degree -- not a master's, because Masters students are expected to gain experience through some sort of job. Mooch off of your parents, if they'll have you. Go to Taco Bell at 2 am and stuff your face and skip your 8:00 class the next morning. If you get the sniffles, skip class again. Take it easy and enjoy the ride because before you know it -- you're sitting in an office, running low-grade fevers, staring at your computer screen asking how the heck you got there.