Typically, we only read stories about kids going back to school. It is the first day of kindergarten. Then time passes on and we have them move up to middle school- then high school- and finally the string breaks and it is college or technical school, or maybe a full-time job. Whatever direction, whatever stage it can be summed up as part of the journey of life. But what about us- the adult world, the empty nesters and ones who really want to still work for the RIGHT reasons- the satisfaction of a smile, a well-earned essay, or a life that we made a difference. Money cannot touch that value.
This week in the upstate, our colleges are gearing up for the new first-year students- the Bridge students moving into dorms at Clemson, and those who have decided it is time to go back for some more education. There are always those students who want to remain on Dad’s health insurance so a full credit load works, and a part-time job, and of course the extra curricular activities. I caught myself being nostalgic while going through various new term professional development sessions. At one point I thought about how it was not too long ago that I was leading and deciding all these things back in good old North Carolina. I loved it- that stage, of leading and learning and watching others grow along the way. Now I realize how did I do it? There is a Leadership Council meeting at 9:00am, a retreat at 7:00pm and of course tomorrow there is a luncheon meeting with the Children’s Programs for the county. Then there is a Foundation event, and do not forget the Western Conference for Literacy is meeting with us in four months so all of that must be figured in, complete with meals and guest speakers. Wait- this was before, and it is now 2025.
I smile and glance at the faculty around me- some happy, some reluctant, some glassy eyed and others staring into space. It is a lot to take in at one time. Then I breath a sigh of relief and contentment. How did I ever get so lucky? It is like my life has come full circle from where it started in the education field- back to the classroom. The classroom is sacred space. It is a place where some students find themselves and then they help me find me. It is a place to challenge, ignite, inspire, grow and it is never the same. Every day can not be perfect- because none of us are meant to be that way. But it represents something many instructors have lost- HOPE. Hope for their futures, for the world, and Optimism for change and positivity, and People of all ages and backgrounds who come together for a moment in time to Endure- sometimes a degree requirement, sometimes a second chance at passing, or just one of the steps on the way to those General Education classes. Do you know the one who wins the most at this? Me- and all of the other instructors who are doing this because it means something. I shuffle through some recent emails that I have kept, and of course, some old trinkets and cards from twenty-five years ago and it is all worth it.