I had been checking my mailbox for weeks; pacing back and forth, waiting for the mail carrier to arrive. Sometimes, I’d meet her down the street – impatiently inquiring if she had anything for me, my stomach twisting in knots as she ransacked her mailbag. After rooting around for what seemed like hours, she’d look up at me with a expression of pure pity, and say, “Not today, Lena.”
Crushed, I walked back to my house, wondering how I could make it through the next 24 hours. Surely it would arrive tomorrow.
I was waiting for a big package; one that would be bursting at the seams. I had pinned years of hopes and dreams on this; I couldn’t eat, I couldn’t sleep, I couldn’t function until I knew either way where fate would take me. I refused to be recklessly confident and yet I knew my chances were extraordinarily good… so, I waited.
And then, the very next day, it happened.
As I leaned against the mailbox for support, I caught sight of the mail carrier as she turned the corner. She had a glorious grin from ear-to-ear and in her hands, was clutching a thick, heavy package. As we made eye contact, I broke into a run, a little bloom of hope growing inside of me. Within seconds I pulled up short in front of her, gasping as I tried to catch my breath – “For me?”
“For you,” she replied with a smile, unshed tears glistening in her eyes.
Grabbing the package, I tore it open right then and there. Inside, I found several forms, many little booklets, but it was the single sheet of paper at the very top that caught my eye:
Dear Lena,
You’ve Been Admitted to Monsters University.
The Monsters University Admissions Office have asked us to extend an invitation for an exclusive “campus tour.” M.U. students Mike Wazowski, James P. Sullivan (plus more misfit monsters) invite you and your loved ones to see a sneak peek of Disney-Pixar’s “Monsters University” (@MonstersU) on Saturday afternoon, May 11 at the AMC Theatres at Downtown Disney! (If you want to scream now, it’s o.k…the monsters actually like it.) This sneak peek is compliments of our pals at Disney-Pixar (@DisneyPixar).
Sincerely,
Dean Hardscrabble
I couldn’t help it – I cried with relief. I had waited for this letter for four long years. Four years of hitting the books, churning out content, and late nights spent at the computer instead of hanging with friends and family. Four years of building my credentials, networking among peers, and making sure I always stayed true to myself and my followers. And now, it had finally paid off….