Age gracefully…not in this life. Back to school? Aging baby boomer? Life is not a journey to the grave with intentions of arriving safely in a pretty well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out and loudly proclaiming ... WOW! What a ride! So Betty and I decided to return to school. This is my second semester and I still wake up in the middle of the night worried that I should have done something different for class. College has changed since I first attended. The students are younger than most of my children, their goals are different than mine, our eyes see things differently. But we are also alike, we are here to learn and enjoy the process.
There are all sorts of people returning to school but generally we fall into two groups. The first group left school before completing their college educations. The second group is returning because they are seeking something more out of life, more stimulation, and more interaction, to contribute to society. Going back to school can be overwhelming and especially daunting for those not familiar with current technology. I have often thought there should be a handicapped definition for those of us who are technically challenged.
What Betty and I lack is a support system what we hope to find through this blog are more students like us. So please join us. Ask questions; post answers or just sound off… Please Join Us Now.
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After my husband died, I went back to school (in my late 50s) to earn a doctorate in clinical psychology. Mind you–the average age of students in my class was around 25, and most of the profs were in their late 40s and mid 50s.
ReplyDeleteMy friends thought I was crazy, but what a great decision I made! Not only did I learn skills to help others, but I also gained a totally new perspective of what it means to be a twenty-something-year-old student trying to navigate in a world that is totally different from the one in which I lived when I was that age. I found my fellow students to be totally accepting of me, and I learned so much from them that I can use in the “real” world. Their language was a constant source of entertainment; their opinions were enlightening and spot-on in most cases; their enthusiasm for life was contagious; and their can-do attitude bouyed me up when I felt old and tired. In short, they made me feel alive.
Not only that, but my capacity to remember things and to learn new concepts increased tenfold. New synapses have been activated because I am using parts of my brain that I haven’t used for years. Memorization–my younger day nemesis–serves me well these days as I challenge myself to remember the old and integrate the new.
Those adults who say that the younger generation is doomed simply have not talked with–-or listened to-–them. They are simply delightful, and I find a renewed optimism in knowing that this generation will one day be running the country—-and probably the nursing home in which I will be living!
Cherie Renfrow-Starry
A Private Practice Therapist, Mental Health Counselor
Edmonds, WA
Thanks for the post and for the wonderful comments. I have two daughters who are also attending college so it's been a learning experience all the way around. It is fun comparing notes and classes with them.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your accomplishments!