Our Family Graduations and other random stuff

All at once, within a year, six of us have graduated. Perhaps there might have been a surprise or two in the list, but finish strong we did.

Oldest grand daughter, Brittany, graduated from the University of Southern Indiana with her degree in Social Work. Then last summer youngest daughter Lola graduated from Indiana University with her master's degree in library science. Then this Spring second oldest grand daughter Taylor graduated from Milligan College with her degree in elementary education. Then me...the very oldest in the family, finally achieved what I didn't even know was a dream of mine, I graduated from Lincoln Christian University and Seminary with a doctorate degree in ministry. A week later twin, and youngest, grand daughters graduated from Harrison High School. Just today they have enrolled at Indiana University and have their schedules for Fall.

Yikes! Where did the time go?

I have not figured out why our family likes to learn or what draws us to academia. Is that something in the genes? Nature? Nurture?

The minute after I had finished my oral defense of my research and knew that I indeed was going to graduate, I sat at Bob Evans across from my husband. The first thing out of my mouth was, "I now have no goals for my life." "Dr. Wife" does have a nice ring to it.

On other notes, life in southern Indiana has been a little more exciting since the publication of a couple of "10 most..." lists.

In the first poll, Evansville ranked Number One. Uno!  Ein!  We win the prize for being number one on the most obese city in the country poll. Yes, that is right; not the state but the whole thin country. We are Number One.

As if that were not enough to keep the Chamber of Commerce up at night with their advertizing agency, the second poll put us at number seven...we couldn't even break the top five on this poll...on the Ten Most Miserable Places to Live in the Country. Again, not the most miserable in the state of Indiana but the whole darn country. You want misery? Move to southern Indiana.

Both of these polls seem mean-spirited. We probably also have more meth labs than other cities of comparable size. We might break into the top ten on that poll, too. And perhaps we have fewer junkers on the roads and more up on blocks in front yards than other cities.Has anyone counted the number of teeth per adult? Or asked why the libraries have more graphic novels than biographies?

What good are these polls? Most of us didn't know we were living in miserable conditions until we saw the poll. And then, why yes, we did start to notice that some things just weren't right.Our ignorance was shattered by pollsters who, now that most of the elections are over, have to make a living.

And that's what I think about it.