MILESTONES

There were two significant events which occurred ten years ago today, December 18, 1997. It was just a regular Thursday to most people. For me, it was the day I finished work on my Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in music. It was the realization of a goal. The second event of the day, while not personally affecting me, was none the less significant. It was the death of Saturday Night Live actor and comedian Chris Farley. I remember hearing the news as I was preparing to leave my apartment that evening, and will always associate that news with the date that I finished my degree.

Certainly for me, the completion of my degree was a significant milestone in my life. Yet, for me, it was less about the lessons and theories I had learned, and more about the things I had learned about myself represented by my diploma. It was the lifelong friendships gained, the obstacles overcome and the fact that I had actually accomplished something I had set out to achieve.

Here's my confession: A decade has passed since I finished my undergraduate degree. There have been many amazing changes in my life since that day. I'm not the same person I was back then. I believe I am more mature, confident, focused, and, in a greater sense, altogether a better person. While that milestone I reached ten years ago was a significant one, there are other milestones which lie ahead. Growing intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually are goals for the days and months ahead. In recent months, I’ve begun taking active steps toward the next significant milestones in my life. December 18, 1997 was just a stepping stone in the larger picture of my future. So, I am declaring today, ten years later, on December 18, 2007, that I am committed to bringing major changes into my life, embracing new challenges