When I was younger and thought I knew it all, I held very strong opinions and ideas about most everything… It was difficult to persuade me to change my mind once it was set, as I believed I had life basically figured out. Nowadays I’m older and hopefully a smidge wiser; I’ve learned that as circumstances change, so must I…
Once my job was eliminated last fall, I struggled with what to do; although my actual working with John remained the same, I no longer held an official position. I had become the woman behind the man, once again…
So I did what a lot of people have done since the economy went south…I went back to school. I decided to focus on property management, a path parallel to the real estate background I already had, thinking it could be advantageous to do so.
I’ve discovered new truths about myself during this brief sojourn in the collegiate classroom…
I have to work a lot harder to retain information. During my undergraduate days, all I had to do was show up and listen in order to do well. Now I easily spend as many hours at home studying as I do in the class lectures. Maybe it’s the evening schedule, although I took quite a few night courses back in the day. Needless to say, the reality of my dream of returning to school once our kids were grown is vastly different than I anticipated…
And I’m not as competitive as I once was. Years ago, my sister Betsy and I simultaneously attended the same art appreciation class at Carolina; we pushed each other right down to the final exam, with me edging her out by a couple of points. I refused to lose; we each had our roles growing up: she was the athlete, I was the academic, and I meant to keep it that way. Today, I’ve been challenged by my daughter; although we’re not taking the same classes, Grace has thrown down the gauntlet: she fully intends to prevail in the grade war…and I want her to.
One thing that hasn’t changed is my love of learning… I’ve always believed that knowledge is power; success comes to those who prepare for it. You’re never too old to learn something new, even if it takes longer to do it.
My final exam takes place a week from Wednesday…I have no idea what I’m going to do once it’s done. My next step will be dictated by that outcome. It all starts with a passing grade…with it, I’ll have the option of stepping out of the shadows and into the light once more…
Wishing you many blessings…tg
Tammy will update her blog twice weekly…
