My life as a college student started in May. I was trying to trying to keep my job. It was something of great stress for me in the previous three years. My head was spinning of the many words that I had for my boss at that moment. The words "Fuck You" came across my mind several times. This place was work place hell, but in some strange way I loved what I was doing there. I had good friends and nothing could beat getting a call from the prison nurses that needed refills or information on a patient. Then there were the times that I got a call from those nurses who just wanted to talk. I may not have been the fastest on the computer but when I got a call from a nurse or the pharmacy needed help in my mind I really did kick serious ass.
There I was sitting in my bosses' office and being told that I had two weeks to become super fast or I was fired. I immediately called my husband and my mouth was moving faster than my head. All I heard from Barry, "It's going to be ok!" I thinking the worst of every situation thought, "How was this going to be ok? Where was I going to find the strength to get through this?" I clocked out at the end of the day and went home. The next morning I called in for a mental day and again called my husband. I told him or he told me I really can't remember that I needed to quit. The work place hell was becoming too much for me physically, emotionally and I was bringing the stress home. It had become unhealthy, so I quit. In further conversation Barry reminded me what I had continued to tell him about wanting to go back to school. He said that I needed to just do it. I went to Ivy Tech that day and started the ball rolling. I had no idea that it was so easy to get school loans and a pell grant. I had signed up for History, Music Appreciation and the Ivy Tech course. It was a new life for me.
It was the summer semester when I started my classes. A couple of things that surprised me. I was not alone being the old lady in class. In my History class there were people older than myself. It takes a lot of courage to walk into a class room at seventy years old and know that you are the oldest person among twenty year olds. These students seemed to be the most dedicated. I would now like to say I am not seventy. I am forty.
I would also look around and see myself twenty years ago. There were kids that didn't want to be in class, the motivation was gone and maturity was no where to be seen. I could only think that one day they will be in my shoes trying to this all over again.
I ask myself what is the one piece of advice that I could give a young person that isn't ready for University. There is nothing in the book of life(like there is actually a book)that says college has to come after high school. There are many things that one could do after high school. The first and probably most important is get a job. The adventure doesn't come to us free, so you need to make money. Secondly, go travel and have the adventure outside of mom and dad's protection. Of course, carry with you all that you have learned from those who loved you and cared for you and travel with safety. Thirdly, find out who you are within yourself. It doesn't matter what people think of you. It matters what you think of you. I am going to add something to that last statement. This doesn't mean anything unless you have Faith. I am not talking about Religion because that is man made. I am talking about Faith in God and the relationship that will surface in your darkest moments. I could not have gotten married, had kids, got divorced, got married again if Faith wasn't in the picture. Find your Faith because it can only get better. There will be times of darkness but the light will come. Only darkness can turn into lite. The adventure of my life has only gotten better. The darkness that I once feared shut off and it may come back. It can also be turned on because the lite never goes away.
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