Was it really 25 years ago?

Many people on my Facebook have been posting status updates that mention taking their kids to college and moving into dorms, etc.  I didn't give it much thought until today, when thinking about 25 years ago and what I was doing the same day that "Livin' on a Prayer" was born.  It hit me that it was very likely that on this exact day 25 years ago, my mom and dad loaded all my belongings into our truck and drove me to Abilene, TX where I moved into first floor of Nelson Dorm.

Nelson Dorm ACU--my room was on the left 1st floor

Now...the first floor was not the floor to be on--to be in the "in crowd" you were supposed to live on the third floor, but alas, my luck was not to be and I was destined to live on the first floor, with a room that didn't have the window screens nailed shut and had a nice pipe right below the window.  More on that later...

Some had pics of Bon Jovi
or Tom Cruise on their walls..
I had Snoopy and Charlie Brown--
I think that about says it all about
my wild and crazy college years!

This probably should be labeled the
"All the things that you can't do
to have a good time in college book"

I also received my PO Box--ACU Station 6978 to be exact. Then I'm sure that I had to pick up my Handbook that told me all the do's and don'ts --like shorts had to be to the knee, curfew had to be met, you had to sign out on the weekend, chapel was mandatory, and boys could only stay in the lobby of the dorms.  My roommate that I met at Freshman Orientation, Dana from Tyler and I had coordinated our matching bedspreads and decor (bears and cross stitch items galore!), and were hopeful that we would be lifelong friends. (I don't think I spoke again to her after we finished our Freshman year...)  The world was wide open for us both and while we were scared to death..we were so happy to be in college!

Yes, a boy...in my room--
can't remember his name,
but he was in my room the one time we could
have boys in the dorm--
yes, the door was open the
whole time!  No, this was not
someone I was interested in.

Dana (on right) and our lovely decorated room-
thanks JC Penney for the lovely and
cheap bedspreads!

The year...1986...a time when gas was $0.89, the average cost of a house was $89,500, and average salaries were $22,400.  Wow...how times have changed--gas on the way home tonight was $3.45; homes are above $200,000 average and there is no way you can live on $22,400 per year!  I can't believe it's been 25 years!  Seriously, how has time passed so fast?  Seems like only yesterday I was that bright eyed, naive girl, who thought that she'd leave college with a good education and a husband.  Life didn't exactly work out like I thought, and if I could go back and tell that 18 year old me something it would be...enjoy the panty raid that happened in your room, put yourself out there, give that boy a chance...he may be the one, and get a better wardrobe--you will be very embarrassed in the future!

Smile:  What have I smiled about?

I smiled when coming home from a business trip to find my house all nice and clean with clean sheets, and the smell of Mr. Clean.  Makes me so happy!

Celebrate:  What do I celebrate?                 Today, August 18th is the 25th anniversary of what some people say is the greatest album of all time, Bon Jovi's "Slippery When Wet."  This album was the birth to some fantastic ballads and songs like "Livin on a Prayer," "Wanted Dead or Alive," "Let it Rock," "Never say Goodbye," and "You give love a Bad Name." This album is what made this band, (that you all know I have grown to love,) popular, and put them in the limelight.  These guys  weren't really "on the scene" prior to this point, and then their world changed when this album was released!  So...Congratulations guys..thanks for creating a masterpiece that we can all karaoke to and enjoy!   Note:  I didn't really even know these guys were around August 18, 1986--now, I could sing every word of Whitney Houston, REO Speedwagon, George Strait, Madonna and probably most Amy Grant songs--and knew every verse to all the church songs.  Don't tell me that I'm not a music lover!  

Love:  What do I love?                                                                                                                                 For 11 summers I've wasted 3 nights a week to stay tuned to see what is happening on this stupid show.  Contestants are locked in a house without any contact with the outside world and are expected to align with others, backstab, create havoc, lie, cheat, and evict one another for $500,000.  They typically always pick a group of crazy folks that have to figure out how to get along.  It's a silly show, and certainly one that I walk away learning NOTHING, but, it's been fun to watch and is a great summer pastime.  I think it's also one of those things that my family also watches, so it's a good bonding experience for all of us.  I love chatting with my mom about it...she gets so worked up about this show!  Love you mom!

Thoughts for the day:  "I'm single because so far...no one can love me better than me!"

"Some people thing hanging in there shows great strength, when the truth is "letting go" is the real test of character."

"The more value you create for others, the more your life will work. Commit yourself to doing good. To get more from life, you must give more to life."