Things I Can’t Get Over

There are very few stereotypes about women that I exemplify on a

regular basis, but I will admit today that I tend to be a bit

bitter, stubborn and hold a grudge. I think I get it from my

mother: She still hasn’t forgiven Kenny Rogers for calling a phone

sex line, or Hugh Grant for soliciting a prostitute, and to tell

you the truth I don’t think that I have either. There are a lot of

things that I am having a hard time getting over these days, and

I’m sure you feel my pain.

First of all, I can’t get over the fact that this semester I

spent $816 on books for five classes. On average, a student taking

12 credits will spend between $350-450 and most of the people I

have spoken to are shocked when they get all the way up to $500. I

know I am an English major, so it’s partially my fault, but in the

back of my mind I know that in a few months I am going to get $20

back if I’m lucky and that doesn’t bring much solace. The

Washington-based National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

says the average annual cost to attend a public four-year

institution in the United States is around $12,600 and $20,000 for

a private university. If you think that is bad, keep in mind that

this number is tuition alone; it doesn’t even begin to include

health services, athletics, student associations, room and board,

or my $816 worth of books.

Moving onto politics, I also cannot get over the fact that even

after he cheated on his wife with everyone and their mothers and

then lied about it under oath, Bill Clinton still had one of the

highest approval ratings of any president. It makes me a little

afraid for our world, and for what our society values. I also

cannot get over the fact that Hillary didn’t leave the loser

immediately and still continues to stand by his side and smile. She

makes me embarrassed to be a woman. And now good old Billy has been

replaced in the media with good old Arnold, who has been accused by

15 different women in the past two weeks of groping them and making

“lewd gestures.” Of course I cannot say if these allegations hold

any truth to them, and apparently neither can Arnold, who, in an

interview with Tom Brokaw, refused to either confirm or deny the

allegations. I don’t know about you but if some girl accused me of

grabbing her butt and I knew I didn’t do it, I would be the first

in line to clear my name and set the record straight. I guess what

bothers me the most is the sneaking suspicion I have that nobody

really cares whose shirt Arnold lifted up. More than likely, the

general public will love him anyway, just like they loved Bill

Clinton, cigar and all.

I can’t get over the guy dressed in a nurse’s outfit last

Halloween that tried to seduce me with his fishnet tights and his

stethoscope. I can’t get over the guy I was dating who told me he

fantasized about my sister. I can’t get over that MTV show about

people who get turned on by stuffed animals. I mean, don’t get me

wrong, I am a woman, I could go on for hours.