Starting college at a later age

[Guest guest]

Ye Other KOs,

First of all I want to tell you I'm here reading and that I swatted at a wasp

with the SWOE Workbook on August 20th, missed the wasp and the window sill

and hit the glass. I've been reading but I've had a huge cut on my right

'nosepicker' and glass shards in my hand. It's healing but I have found the

102nd

use for SWOE Workbook. (I'm just glad it wasn't 'dirty finger' I cut because

I've been doing some driving and, well, let's just say with my finger sticking

up it could have caused road rage). Yikes. I had someone falsely shake

their finger back at me who was talking on a cell phone. Boy, talk about guilt

and projection. I cut my finger being a member on the SWAT team. I didn't get

much support from my nada but that's BPD and NPD. And we do know how that

goes. <heavy sigh>.

Anyhoo, I wanted to support those going back to school at a later age. I'm

55. I earned a B.A. in Art and a minor in 'boyology' in '73. I purposely

chose a major in which I didn't have to stick my nose into a book, other than

required courses, so I chose a productive major as an undergraduate although my

heart was on psychology.

When I was 33 I went back to school and received an M.A. in Social Psychology

in '91 when I was 40. And not without a lot of hassles from nada. I wish I

had these lists before grad school. My nada did a lot to discourage me. She

did a lot of calling before tests when she knew I had to study. She messed up

my thesis in ways that are so convoluted that only a KO would understand.

(Holy sh...er cow). She did a lot of passive-aggressive stuff when papers were

due, projects were to be turned in, data gathered, you name it. She threw a

lot of fits before an important school thing to be due or presented. But, for

those of you going back, call it what it is and remember to try to put yourself

first toward the degree or certificate of whatever it is that you want. If

you have been on the list(s) for awhile then as a KO you'll know the signs to

recognize and look for when something in school comes up important. I wish I

would have known about boundaries then but the program was about research,

stats, data gathering, etc. My area I submitted to the graduate dean was

'finding

a parking space'.

I want to encourage you all to go back to school if and when you are ready to

go back. There might possibly be some setbacks, I hope not, but you have the

group here. I made it with a nada, without this group at the time, and so

can you. I didn't attend the ceremony because nada messed up my high school

graduation, and my undergrad ceremony <sheesh> so I just picked up the piece of

paper and took the wind out of her sails. It was more fun than attending for

me. <snort>.

Remember the old adage that 'but I'll be such-and-such years old when I

graduate'. Well, I thought the same thing too when I was 40 and wanted to moon

the

faculty and nada after receiving my degree, but it comes back to 'you'll be

the same age in so many years so get the degree'.

I hope this helps. Go for it.

I wish that wasp had landed on nada's buttocks. <spla-a-a-a-a-a-t>. We had

a memorial service for the wasp. We drove around the block with our lights on

and played 'Flight of the Bumblebee'. We played 'Honeycomb' by Jimmy

and had some music by Sting.

I am the finder of the 102nd use for SWOE Workbook.

Welcome on board newbies, middlebees and hi to other oldtimers. I swat

bumblebees.

Wuvs ya all,

Rita

" And she'll have fun, fun, fun 'till her daddy takes the keyboard away " .