You're gonna wish you had worked more...

me, mom and dad with the "I told you so" smile.

Welcome to "Momma always said..." where I share some of my life failures, namely, the ones where my mom and dad have the ability to say, "I told you so."  Since the day I left my house in 2005 to attend Eastern University I began to realize the things my mom and dad told me growing up - the things that all high school students believe are something that only "old people" worry about - were actually things I wish I would've listened to. What's sad is that, although I began to realize it in 2005, I continue to make those same bad decisions, even now.

The most recent realization I had (which inspired me to begin this blog) is one that has included 6 years of bad decisions.  When I was in high school my mom always told me that I was going to have to work really hard to pay for school because "you're not gonna want to be making loan payments for the rest of your life."  Summer after summer and semester after semester I constantly put working at the bottom of my priority list, choosing to go out with friends even when my bank account was under $100.  "It would be fine", I remember thinking.  I can explicitly remember justifying my actions to myself by saying, "this is the only time I will ever be in a situation like this, surrounded by friends at all times and staying up all night.  If I pass up one outing, I will have missed out on so much life."

Then came the summers when I would only work full time.  I remember my parents saying, "your sisters worked 60-70 hour weeks!  You need to work more."  I would like to say that I listened... that I barely had any student loans... that my student loans would be paid off in just a few years.  But, let's just say my student loans show my commitment to my friends.

Well, here I am.  Married, working and living.... wishing my student loan payment wasn't more expensive than my... I can't even say it.  It makes me cry.

So, as I expect I will be ending every one of these... Mom and dad, I'm so sorry I didn't listen to you.