The Wizard of Oz Door

In our family, Travis is the mail checker. He was out of town Monday night… the mail didn’t get checked. I think I’m gonna blame it on most of my life I never had my own mailbox. At my house growing up, we walked to a collection of small mailboxes. If you got a big package, you got a key to unlock one of the bigger mailboxes. It was the same in college, and then I went to apartment life!

So, when he got home Tuesday, he brought in a note from the mail man. We had missed a package that needed a signature. Travis asked me what I ordered… and I had no idea. The name on the slip was my maiden name. I checked my PayPal account because sometimes that shows up as my maiden name. The only thing was the towels we ordered for the lake house and we already had them. It drove me nuts all Tuesday night.

I woke up Wednesday morning and all of a sudden. I knew what it was!!!!!!! I placed an order December 27^th, and it was finally here!!! I didn’t even get an email saying it was finished or that it was being delivered!!! Actually, the last time I checked the website it still said “processing.”

All day, I waited patiently. Then I had a meeting after school at 3:30… I had already said I’m leaving at 4. But the parent didn’t show up until 4…. And I left at 5. I set off to the post office. When I arrived, I read the signs that led me to “ring the bell.”

I approached this stone cold door and rang the bell that had strict instructions above it to “RING ONLY ONCE.” When I rang the bell it sounded like a loud factory bell. I immediately imagined myself in the land of Oz and I was waiting on the Wizard. What was the password? Emerald? Dorothy? Toto? I stood… pondering all of this for about 3 minutes, which seemed like an eternity. Then, a lady walked up behind me. I told her “The sign says to ring the bell only once… I’ve already rang the bell.. but YOU can ring the bell!!!!” She laughed and rang that factory bell proudly. I then told her my theory about the Wizard of Oz theory and she told me she liked my shoes.

3 more minutes pass and we’re in the middle of conversation when the wizard opens the half door at the top!! Except, he didn’t look like a wizard.. but that’s beside the point.

I signed something and he gave me my package!!!!! I drove home as fast as I could and ripped it open immediately.

I used Christmas money to buy myself a beautiful, shiny Baylor ring.

These things aren’t cheap and I did not want to ask my parents for one. I know they would have bought one for me, but I didn’t want to ask.

Especially now, with Baylor continuously in the news, I am so proud to wear this ring. I believe I got the best education for myself at Baylor. I believe I had the best professors who had the best interest in my personal and professional being. I believe I made the best of friends who will be life long friends. I believe the Bear network extends far and wide, and I want to be a representative that exemplifies everything good and right Baylor does.

Sic ‘em Bears.