Back Story

My son is all settled into his dorm. I love being on his campus. It is nestled in the hills of Vermont where the scenery is breath taking, and it has beautiful old buildings that give the place a sense of reverence. The town is so small that the college makes up most of the population. It is such a sleepy little place that the drugstore is closed on the weekends. It sure makes for some traveling if you really are in need of pharmaceutical supplies.

Whenever I take him back, it reminds me of how much I wanted to live away at college when I was younger. My parents didn't have strong beliefs about higher education for their daughters. They only saw marriage in our futures. I on the other hand wanted to go away to school so badly. I used to sit with my older cousins for hours on end and listen to all of their stories about college life and I knew that was for me. As attached as I was to the family farm, there was something calling to me that there was something bigger out in the world and that maybe I was able to do something more with my life.

Yesterday, I was remembering the day all of my friends took off for college and I was left behind. I went around on my bike saying good-bye to all of them and then raced home where I dissolved into tears because it was so hard to say good-bye to them and because I felt destined to stay docked to the port forever.

While I did finally enroll in a community college training program, it was never the same as if I had gone away.

I got married right after I graduated with my Associates degree in hand and then my husband became one of my biggest supports in continuing my education.

I took a course or two while raising my kids, but was often overwhelmed with juggling school, kids, and working. So there were times that I lost my drive and did not take any courses and just let it ride.

When my older son was about 9 years old he came to me with some of his allowance and told me that he wanted me to have it so that I could finish college. He must have heard me lamenting about classes to someone and wanted to help his dear old mother out. It was just the sweetest gesture ever, and I promised him and myself that I would go back again and not stop until I got that degree. I was about 40 years old when I got my bachelors degree, but I did it.

For many years I had a lot of angst about the whole college thing... would of, could of... should of... but now it is all gone.