BOILING WATER by Grace Jones, AU/CVM, Class of 2024
“A watched pot never boils,” Mom used to say. For many of us these simple words arouse
memories of our favorite dish on the stove or treat in the oven. Recollections of being a child with your nose squished against the oven door, the mesh pattern obscuring the rising flour as butter sizzled and crusted the edges of a pan passed down generations, and one day destined to be yours. But still, you watched, and waited, imagining the taste of fresh cornbread or a sour- dough loaf, or cake. It made your mouth water and as the timer went down, the world itself started spinning slower.
Fast forward, I’m 23 years old and I am so distracted with thoughts, I can burn toast on any given night. So, in short, four years of veterinary school has proven my mother wrong. Yikes. I waited and waited for this moment and regardless of how much I prepared and planned, my life is one massive pot of boiling water. To say clinical year happened in a flash is an understatement.
Now, I’m making home improvements to sell my beloved trailer, where I have lived the entirety of my twenties, in Ridgewood Village. Where the sweet sound of undergraduate parties every single game night despite the pathology exam at eight a.m. never failed me; accompanied by the reassuring sound of my neighbors coming home as I heard their screen door slamming through my four-inch walls. Gone are the days of my washer and dryer shaking the entirety of my floors even on the shortest cycle. My mind is now a cluster of financial planning, wondering where I will live, deciding where I might work, oh and don’t forget the graduation trip I have decided to plan in the midst of it all.
Ten weeks away from my preceptor, I spend quiet moments contemplating my life goals and aspirations, plugging them into scenarios but knowing the future is beyond my control. Meanwhile, my heart is still celebrating the completion of my NAVLE exam and the hope that I passed. Te whirlwind of this semester is brightened by the rejuvenation of pre-vet school hobbies. Like reading a novel, for the first time this year.
My classmates and I are recreating ourselves, fitting the mold of who we have determined we want to be. Awaiting our graduation date with excitement and equal amounts of angst. With this, I am reminded how beautiful uncertainty is. No more schedules of lectures or calling for patient histories the night before their appointments. It is the start of our next chapter, blank pages waiting to be filled with decisions and mis- takes as well as their outcomes.
Te truth is I am scared, a lot of unknowns are in front of me, but that is even more reason to dream big and be grateful for the choices this education has provided. So here I am, thankful for the struggles and challenges I have faced so far and understanding there is plenty more to come. With patience and perse- verance, and above all, faith, I expect nothing short of extraordinary for the class of 2024 as we transition from the university to our careers.
I would like to say a special thank you to KVMA for including me in these newsletters and to the members that have taken the time to read my thoughts and perspectives. It has been an honor writing for you the past four years. War Eagle!
18 KVMA News
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