The year 2007 is almost over!: A reflection.

Well, the year 2007 is almost over! It is very hard for me to believe that it will come to an end in only 10 days. I know one thing: this year has been a very interesting one. My life has been challenged in many ways ranging from my very long and exhausting summer to schoolwork to everyday college life over the last year.
My journey into adulthood got deeper as I worked in my hometown for the summer. I worked at Rayonier Performance Fibers Fernandina Mill as temporary summer help for the company's department of central maintenance. This was truly a life changing experience because I met new people and developed a special bond with those who I came into contact with while working there. Also, I was glad to honor my grandfather by working at this company because he worked there at the same place for over 40 years! I also honored my father because he worked at the same place for about two years before he became a teacher at Fernandina Beach High School. At this present time, my father's brother works there now, and it was nice to see him there at different times to briefly talk with him on the job. There were also many men out there who looked after me(namely the black men), and that felt good to have veterans of the company help me along the way. One thing that intrigued me was the fact that so many of the employees at Rayonier knew who I was because of my grandfather and the rest of my family. I kept in mind that many of the people that I met for the first time out there had already been acquainted with my family. This job was not bad overall, but I hate waking up early in the morning, and that is what I had to do for the whole summer. In addition, my co-worker was CRAZY! He was a college student as well who was working for the summer at Rayonier. Working with him was a test of faith in and of itself! I can honestly say that it was God that helped me to stay sane while working with him. That guy is a complex character. Believe me: if you had to work with him for a certain amount of time, you would understand where I am coming from! I can still remember the last day at that job this summer as I started to get emotional. As I left the gates of Rayonier I shed a few tears because of the whole experience of being out there on the job. I had never worked in a blue-collar setting in my life, and I learned so much about life being there. There were many times where I felt like quitting the job, but I stayed until the end! To this day I may consider going back to work at Rayonier for another summer as I finish my higher education at Florida A&M University.
One thing that has really turned the tables for my life was my Advanced Composition class at FAMU. That class is the very reason as to why this blog exists! I enjoyed being in the class because I learned so much. I am grateful for being taught by Dr. West-White and for the interesting lessons that she gave to me and the rest of my classmates. I was soooooooooooooooo happy when I found out my grade for her class. I worked very hard to earn an A out of her class, especially when I discovered that I was making high grades on different papers. Through the long, sleepless nights and the sickness that I caught, I achieved what I was chasing for that class!
The most monumental event that happened to me this year was turning 21 on November 20. I just could not believe that I made it to that age in my life. It was nice to be able to come home that week to see my family since that was the same week as Thanksgiving break. Overall I have been doing pretty well while this year has been concluding except for this cold that I developed at the beginning of November.
The one thing that I have been put to the test with this year is my health. I now have full-blown high blood pressure! Yes ladies and gentlemen, I have high blood pressure! Unfortunate: Yes, but will it stop me: NO! There is a lot that I am trying to do and that I must still do to get this out of my system, literally! All in all, I am very thankful to have experienced what I have in this year 2007! I pray that the Creator will allow me to see the new year!