I rarely, if ever, make rash decisions unless they involve motorcycles, cars, and power tools. Recently, I made the decision to return to school to continue an education I left behind 25 years ago... and, no... its not to complete my GED. I decided it was time to complete my bachelors degree which, at the time, happened to be in Radio/Television/Film. Being 19 years old and already tired of school I dropped out as soon as the first company offered me more than $10 an hour. This "great" salary gave me all the independence I needed to move out on my own, get married, get divorced, get married again, and get kids... all within the first few years of my fabulous independence.
Luckily, I managed to fall into a teaching career which brings me back full circle to where I am now. While raising my daughters, I always stressed the importance of a college education. It was never if they were going to college but where they were going to go. It was a vision I never had as a child. Neither of my parents went to college and neither really cared about my grades as long as I graduated. Becoming part of the workforce after high school was just an expectation I gladly obliged. Becoming a teacher forced me to recognize and respect the value and privilege of knowledge. Watching my oldest daughter walk across the stage for her diploma made me realize just how hypocritical I have been all these years. She's off to Baylor to begin her college education and I still have yet to complete mine 25 years later.
I'm now a 43 year old freshman at Tarleton State University. Technically, I should be a sophomore but, since its been two decades since my last college-level course, some of my credits "expired"... I did not know they could do that. I don't feel quite as old as Rodney Dangerfield and I am definitely not attending any frat parties since all of my courses are on-line. I hope to complete my degree before my daughter does but, if I don't, that's okay too. I just feel better about not being that dad who tells his kids "Do as I say, not as I do."
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