In regards to my health: yes, I will definitely be careful. I value my health very much. I value it more than the opportunity to ride (and that, my friends, is quite a high priority).
The thing is with my health in general: I grew up in doctor's offices and hospitals. Literally. Either my mother, who has lupus and a variety of other maladies, was in for medical treatment or I was. I've had everything from asthma attacks (both in sleep and under the knife) and I've been diagnosed with breast cancer (turned out to be benign) and lymphoma (also benign). I do have a cyst in the very center of my brain. I've had bouts of severe vertigo from time to time and I was born with 36% hearing loss in both ears. So yes, I value my health very much and I would not let my passions run amok as to put myself in needless danger; being around horses on the ground is hazard enough sometimes!
(Especially with the cranky ones!)
Ah, than you for sharing that experience with me Iseul (unfortunate as it was for you; I'm very sorry). I tend to be very level-headed and strong-willed, while maintaining patience and virtue. I don't feel challenged at all by the type of people you had the unfortunate experience of dealing with. My method to dealing with people like that is this:
- Communicate and establish good relationships early with my professors and make friends with the assistant dean at the beginning of the semester/quarter. This does not involve "brown-nosing". Rather, I get inside my instructor's heads and figure out very quickly what they like and dislike and play to that. If they like a hard worker, I work the hardest. If they like to talk shop, I learn their language. If they enjoy boasting about their life and accomplishments, I listen with engaged interest. And then I carefully file away all that they said in my mind.
- I am myself and I'm friendly and courteous to all those I meet (especially the cooks!!!!!!!!!!!!)
- If problems arise, and cannot be resolved on a person-to-person basis with the source of the issue, I take it to someone in authority (ergo the good relations with those in power) and inform them of the issue.
- Then, if that person proves to be utterly incompetent, I ensure that there is a paper trail and then go to the person above them and so on and so forth until I've accomplished the task of resolving the problem.
Example: I had the recent experience of trying to get an entire building reserved on my campus, for a short film I was trying to shoot, and the location coordinator was being belligerent. My professor's requests were ignored/refused for a month by her. I took matters into my own hands. I simply went to my academic department's head, went to the dean's office, got in touch with the woman's supervisor and I had my shooting permit within 24 hours. In short: I am your greatest ally in a war; do not mess with me!
And tough teachers? No one, and I do mean not a soul, can be as tough and heartless as my rhetoric professor at UT Austin.
The man failed me for simply being female and attending his stupid class.
Stress? My life's a stress ball but I roll with the punches. If I get knocked down, I get right back up and keep going. And besides, 32 weeks is not a long time; I was in Peru and Ecuador earlier this year for longer than that on my mission and I can promise you that went by
fast! So if I really have problems, I'll simply endure and make the best of it; I'm excellent at that.
And people that brag? Ha! I put 'em to the test if they boast skills. If they can pull it off, I give 'em props. If they can't I tell 'em to try again until their skills match their tall tales. I come from Texas; tall tales are a dime a dozen there.
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