Before I Go to College

Before college, I have to plan a graduation party
My Mom's planning the family party
I have to plan the other one
The real one
The one for friends and classmates

We had a pool
The pool was removed
Because my Mom decided she wanted a pond
So now we have a pond
Ever been to a pond party?

No?  Me neither

But I have to plan the party

I have to get a part-time, temporary job
To try and squirrel away some money
Before my entire life becomes laid out on the thin rope
Known as student loans

I plan on spending a good portion of my summer
At a cash register
Wearing bright red
Trying not to forget
To give people their credit cards back
Running into my Mom's friends
And telling them that, 'Yes, it does feel good to earn my own money'
Well really, I'd just like to tell them
How much my mom spent
On that stupid pond

Before college, I have to break up with my boyfriend
Because he's going to California
And I'm going to New York
And I'm not dumb enough
To think I should spend even one second of my freshman year of college
On the phone with my boyfriend
In my dorm
While everyone else is out partying

I like my boyfriend
He's sweet
His hair falls in front of his face
And he still thinks skateboarding
Is still a thing

It's endearing

But he's a a high school boyfriend
I'd like a college boyfriend
I'd like to something new

Before I go to college
I have to determine how many of my friends
I want to stay in touch with
Because, let's face it
I can put whatever I want
In everybody's yearbook
But it's going to be virtually impossible
To keep more than, oh let's be liberal here and say--
Three friends from high school
And even then, they'll probably go from being dear friends
To mild acquaintances
In the best of circumstances

I'm going to have to buy new clothes
Sell my car
Settle on a new identity

Who am I going to be now?

I guess I could work on revising my current persona
But, to be perfectly honest, I don't like myself all that much

...And I don't know why

But that's the glory of being young, I guess
You get to decide--I will not be this anymore
And you don't have to be

That's college coming to the rescue saying--

Nobody will know you here
Go ahead
Start over

And yet, there's a part of me...

A part that thinks--

It can't be that easy

It can't be that easy to just--chuck everything
And start from scratch

Can it?

I guess I'd better figure that out

One more thing to do
Before I go to college