The one about my application

It's a gloomy day that matches her mood. Dirty dishes in the sink, clothing everywhere, books and papers on the floor and a safe haven on the bed where she sits writing. For me that sounds like a scene out of the movies. A movie about a struggling writer who happens to be suffering from writers block. Sunday night, I lived this scene. Journalism application deadline looming; inspiration lacking I thought I might never finish in time. I felt like I needed more than a personal assistant.

I wasn't raised this way. I feel like I'm currently resocialising myself into a new norm. A norm in which my books are a priority and how I live will be sorted out once South Africa has its own equivalent of Dress my Nest or Clean House. A norm in which I perfect my journalism skills and leave domestication for a time closer to when my true love finds me.

Passport in hand, application finally typed and printed, I ran to the AMM. That place is far. I've been lucky so far, managing to skip the passport control. Handing in my application felt like such an anti-climax. Somehow I expected a drum roll or a voice over saying something like "Thank you for your application. You are a valued student. Please check you mail for a response. Have a nice day," or what ever a voice over would say in this situation. Don't get me wrong, Nicky, if you're reading this, you were very nice when you took in my application. It's just that there was so much drama in my life before handing in my application, that I needed an immediate sort of "yay for you".

I think the problem here is that I'm put on hold to often. Telkom is the best at the voice over thing. I laugh every time they put me on hold, that voice is patronising but calming. That's probably what I needed, an assuring voice that would say, "you've done your best and your application will reflect that. Go in peace." I guess that's what home is for, right?

To all the journalism 2 applicants, good luck. As I go back to my life and attempt to restore order to my room, I'll be thinking about every face I've seen in the lectures. I'll think about the paths that life is paving for us and pray for a tarred roads and fewer bumpy paths because we all have a long way to go. So where ever it leads you, keep going.