Wednesday, April 20, 2005
On College and Old Age
I have a question for you about graduation announcements, but first, a little background.I'm graduating from college in a month (YES!), but I'm not a traditional student by any stretch of the imagination. First of all, I'm married (you should see the reaction I get from the 18-year olds sitting next to me in class when they finally discover I'm wearing a wedding ring - oh the shock!). I got married at the prepubescent age (just kidding, I had hit puberty) of 18. That's right, folks, I was two months shy of turning 19 when I vowed before God and witnesses that I would be Huz's wife for "as long as we both shall live." Was I old enough and mature enough? Did I know what I was getting myself into? Did I have any real concept of what marriage was or who I was for that matter? No, no, no and no. But, by the grace of God, Providence, destiny, sheer luck (or however you want to word it) and a lot of work, I'm still married (happily, even) 10 years later.
In addition to being a married college student, I'm 29 years old. Now that's a major shock to my fellow students. Most don't believe me, which I suppose isn't a bad thing because it means I must look young (just keep that up when you're 40, ok body!?). Why did I wait so long to go to college? I'll tell you.
I went to a crappy ultra-conservative Bible College right after I got married and quit after 2 years, realizing that I did NOT want to study the Bible or theology. Not for me. Thanks anyway. But, it took a loooong time for me to get back to school of any kind because I was young and married and had to work because Huz was in school (I guess I didn't HAVE to, but money is kinda important, you know, what with food, clothing and shelter costing money). So, I worked full-time for the next 6 years. I began taking college classes on a part-time basis during the last 3 years of full-time work and then finally transferred into Loyola as a full-fledged, full-time student at the ripe old age of 27. It was a difficult transition for me, to say the least. I no longer had a job title, Events Coordinator Extrordinare, to identify with. Instead, I was just a student and an old one at that. I struggled with how to present myself to the other students, sorely aware of my difference; I felt like a zit on the end of someone's nose - something that stuck out and didn't belong. But, eventually, I decided to embrace my age and life-stage because, hell, I've experienced a lot more than the kids around me and I should be proud of it. Plus, I'm gaining so much more from my education than most of them anyway. But...
All that to ask about announcements. My Grandma is waiting for her announcment to arrive in the mail (or so I hear). Er, I wasn't going to buy any. Two reasons: 1. I'm cheap and 2. I'm OLD, so why should I re-highlight this fact to family and friends? I'm experiencing a strange dualism: I'm both proud and embarrassed by graduating at 29. Apparently, however, my family is down right proud of me (*smile*) because they are giving me gifts. My Dad is giving me an awesome camera (a Nikon D70 - Dooce, you've got picture-taking competition now!) and my Mom is contributing a generous amount towards our airplane tickets to Belgium this summer (our first REAL vacation). So, should I spend $50 on announcements? Would it be a validation to myself of my accomplishments, something that I need to do for me, or what? Help me decide. |
