Dear Diary,
Phew! Another day dancing in the digs. Y’know, when I was little, I never thought I’d be able to blend both of my passions together, but here I am: the world’s first ballerina paleontologist. Sure, when I was five, it was just a pipe dream. There was no way those two very different goals could become my reality, but I was determined enough to make it happen.
Today, though, my tutu was all up in a fossil of a stegosaurus we recently discovered. It can be difficult to balance both of my work lives. The skirt constantly knocks into priceless old bones, occasionally sending remains crashing to the ground. And sometimes, the skirt does the dusting for me, kind of like getting a BOGO deal at Payless.
I can’t imagine my life turning out any other way than this, combining both science and the arts. Clearly it was the most practical use of my time spent in college. When I wasn’t studying the skeletons of those gigantic ancients, I was also chasing pirouettes with jetés in my ballet company’s studio. My countless hours spent in dust-filled caves and caverns was offset by my time in airy, mirrored recital halls. From raptors right to relevés.
Sometimes when I wake up, I pinch myself to make sure this is really happening! It’s everything I’ve ever dreamed of. People used to make fun of me; other kids wanted to be just firefighters or astronauts. They’d laugh at me, wanting to be two completely different things when I grew up, but I had a feeling I could make it work. I knew everything would be worthwhile if I worked hard to combine my two loves. Think about it, diary: if those kids had become astronaut firefighters, they’d be unstoppable! They’d be heroes of both land and space! Instead, they’ve only mastered one of their respective frontiers.
I let them have their laughs because I believed in myself. I believed in my pointe shoes, and I believed in my keen sense of historical geography. I believed that, because I was so much in love with each of these passions, I’d be successful with whatever I set my mind to. Just like my mom and Oprah taught me. And now I’m a pioneer of sorts!
Sure, I’m not exactly the Sally Ride of my fields, but I like to think I’m at least a role model for lots of other little girls out there. I’m living proof that you don’t ever have to compromise on your dreams. There will always be a way to make it work, no matter what. Today I can sleep comfortably knowing I never settled, that I never gave up and that I always went after exactly what I wanted. Why should I have allowed myself to strive for anything less than perfect?
I never let myself become distracted or deterred from my goals. And thank goodness. I’m so happy nothing silly or frivolous ever got in my way. Nothing like writing or acting ever took up any of my time; those would’ve been fruitless pursuits to combine. Don’t make me laugh, diary.
As it stands, I’m a leader in my ambitions, and isn’t that remarkable? Shouldn’t I be incredibly proud of myself? I won’t be ashamed of that, of being grateful for the opportunities I’ve been presented? That’d be silly. I’ve worked very hard to master both the rock pick and my retiré.
Well, anyway. Back to the stegosaurus. We found basically a full set of bones, which is so rare! Usually they’re all spread out and hard to find but it was like this lady dino, for we could tell the fossil was a lady, was waiting for us to discover her. How kind of an ancient creature to find eternal rest in such a way that made it easier for much, much later generations to learn from previous beings. After we found that it was a full set, I did the entire first solo from Swan Lake right there on the edge of the dig! I nearly fell in, but one of my assistants was kind enough to pretend to be a ballerino, as it were. We spun and spun, mostly because the momentum made him keep going, and there was nothing I could do to stop it, kind of like getting a BOGO deal at Payless.
Sorry I keep mentioning Payless. I promise I’m not sponsored by them or anything, diary. It’s just that, when you’re me, you either need new ballet shoes or new hiking boots a lot of the time. You get to know when and where the good sales are. Never underestimate a BOGO.
Oh, I’ve got to run now, sadly. Mark just called from the other tent to say he found a stream online of the latest season of “So You Think You Can Dance”. I can’t wait until there’s a “So You Think You Can Dance And Excavate”!
