My mom told me when my kids were little that I would want to go back to school someday. I flatly denied it. I had had 17 years of it and felt full from the experience. Happy to have done it.Glad to have gotten a degree in a subject area I love. Grateful for the opportunity and support my parents gave me. Matured by the chance to live with other people for four years--two years in a Catholic women's college (Seton Hill in PA) and two in my own apartment(s) while going to Towson.
For years I was content to learn things my kids would need, so it wasn't much of a challenge in the early years to stay ahead of them academically. I loved homeschooling for the ongoing privilege of keeping my mind sharp (which is debatable, but sounds good on paper) as well as for the chance to be with my children 24/7.
But now that two of them are in college, I want to go back to school myself. I want to take classes I never thought were "worthy" of spending money on, namely art. I don't know where that notion came from. I never thought of myself as an artist, that's probably why. And does an English major need to take a painting class, really? But I so wanted to carry of those big leather portfolios and head off to the distant hillside at the convent-turned-college, and just sketch the landscape.
It seemed so frivolous compared to writing papers on Shakespearean tragedies. It also looked like wonderful therapy. I felt if I couldn't see myself using art to pay back school debt, why go into debt for an art class? Then again, why did I take tap dance? (Probably because I could dance better than I could draw, so it was a pride issue.)
I also would love to take a photography class, a cooking class, an interior design class, a gerontology class, a class on teaching English as a second language, an early childhood ed class, a water aerobics class (with a fat, private female swimming instructor in a secluded outdoor pool far from civilization). I would like to study Judaism without going overboard on it. Take a medical terminology class and a real estate class to go into business with my hubby. (I would love to match people with a home they love while Paul crunches numbers to make it happen for them.) I'd also love to take a sewing class and improve my skills there.
And at the same time, take a Bible study class that digs into Hebrew, Greek and ancient customs for a fuller understanding of topics that I might otherwise skim over.
I fill with excitement every time I'm at the HCC campus. I long to be a student again. Can anyone relate?
4 comments:
Jason and I were just having the "if you could do anything..." talk yesterday. One thing on my list was interning with the Ace of Cakes down in Baltimore. I would love to take a sugar craft class.
I would also love to take the counseling courses at CCEF/ Westminster.
Maybe one day?!
I feel ya. I am always drooling over the classes listed in our college mailings that come. I went to college for four years loved it and really have never wanted to stop learning. So I completely understand. I would love to take a photoshop class and some graphic design classes....and a ton of different art classes. You should pick one a semester at a local college and DO IT. I used to take art classes after I graduated college before kids when I was working to give me something to do. In fact that is where I started the whole photography thing...took a night class. So go for it.
Ps I LOVE your new blog look. It must be time for a change I just changed my look....getting bored.
I totally know how you feel. I'd love to take more photography classes (only took 1 in college; loved being in the dark room and developing my own prints), more graphic design classes, web design, more painting and figure drawing, literature classes, and creative writing. I'd also love to take voice lessons again and I've always longed to play the violin.
Every fall I get the itch for college. I've always had it, in school, out of school. It's always there. I've seriously thought I should have gone the academic route and taught at the college level, the only thing is your life is so unstable unless you get tenure. Ah well. I do love the time I have these days to read what I want, freelance design, and work on articles. As long as I keep stretching and learning, that's the main thing.
I know exactly what you mean - every time Matt prepares to take another class towards his Master's, it awakens something in me that wants to go through that again (and I HAVE a master's degree!). Not necessarily for another degree though...just odds and ends. The medical terminology class I had in college was probably one of the most useful things I ever took - it's just nice to feel like I know what's going on medically, and I understand when my allergist is dictating his note in front of me!
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