The Long and Winding Road

I haven't published anything for the entire quarter.  The discovery of an amazing volunteer opportunity coupled with the large amount of coursework left me with little to no time to post anything.  My apologies.  Anyway, DePaul in it's infinite wisdom decided that I needed to take business writing course in order to complete my education.  Ha, 20 years in business and I need a writing course.  I found that laughable.  Yet, as I wrote the final requirement for the class I came to an important conclusion.  This is my final "Reflective Essay" for WRD 202.  I hope you enjoy the reading as much as I enjoyed the writing.

The Long and Winding Road

By Debbie Kelly

John Lennon said that “life is what happens to you when you’re busy making other plans.” At the age of 18, I had no idea of the real meaning of those words.  Since my foray into higher education began 26 years ago, I have been attempting to finish my undergraduate degree longer than my average classmate has been alive.  What better way to demonstrate the truth behind Mr. Lennon’s message?

During those 26 years, I have learned many lessons; on the first day of class most students expect to be released early but few actually are, every instructor asks for cell phones to be turned off but students still text during class, sometimes the thing you are most sure of is the thing that disappoints you most, taking classes while working full-time is really hard, group projects always result in one person doing all of the work and no matter how hard you fight it DePaul is going to make you take Professional Business Writing.  So here I am, a 44 year old student with 22 years of real-world business experience, sitting in a business writing class that I think is a gigantic waste of time.  

That’s right, a gigantic waste of time.  Seriously, what could I, 22-year veteran of the business world, have to learn about business writing?  I’ve done this for a living for years.  How could I possibly get anything out of this experience?  Doesn’t that experience count for anything?  The answer is “no” it does not and “yes” the class is required.  Initially, the approach I chose was one of passive indifference.  However since class participation is required, that would not work. Then I thought, I’ll humor the instructor and answer the questions only she’s too smart for that and figured me out.  When I received the comments on the first case study assignment, I decided to pay attention.  Imagine my surprise when I actually started to learn something.  Imagine my shock as I explained the difference between active and passive voice to my highly intellectual and somewhat writing snobby husband.  Imagine my embarrassment as I realized that I did not know everything and that there were still things, at the age of 44,  that I could learn.  

They say that knowing that you don’t know is the highest form of knowledge.  As is sit here drinking a glass of red wine, I contemplate the completion of this part of my journey and I wonder.  I wonder what other inaccurate judgments have formed during my educational adventure.  I wonder how many other beliefs I can challenge along the way.  I wonder how many opportunities exist for a 44 year old graduate with rich and deep life experience. And finally, I wonder what else I don’t know.   Frankly, I’m excited to find out because John Lennon also said that “life begins at 40.”  

Week 2 - The Towering Inferno

I've discovered that my instructor is approximately the same age as me.  This discovery was not the result of an overt admission on his part but more the result of my deductive reasoning based on his choice of "examples" in class.

During our first class, he related the discussion topic to Corning and asked if anyone knew what Corning manufactured.  His question met with a roomful of blank stares.  He persevered and tried to give hints but still, blank stares.  I raised my hand and said they made glass cookware - primarily casserole dishes.  After he thanked me for my answer, the instructor moved on clearly relieved that someone had bailed him out.  Then, the girl sitting next to me looked at me innocently and whispered "what's a casserole?"  Clearly, she had never enjoyed the delicious leftover concoction of meat, gravy, peas, mashed potatoes, and pearl onions that so defined my post-Thanksgiving memories.  I just looked at her, smiled and said "Google it."

Apparently, Gilles (that's my instructor) is a bit of a glutton for punishment because Week 2's class brought more of the same pain.  In an attempt to relate the rather bland and boring topic of Project Management to the real world, he asked our class of mostly 20 year old students about the Montreal Olympics.  Yes, the Olympics that took place in 1976!  1976!  He then started talking about the Olympic stadium and asked if anyone knew how long it took to complete.  Blank stares again.  Why blank stares, because the Olympics was in 1976!  For the record, the stadium was officially completed in 1987 which is still before most of these students were born.

It's mind boggling that Gilles has one more up his sleeve.  This one though is a true gem and, by far my favorite.  As a child, I was a huge fan of the Disaster/Catastrophe film genre.  The bigger the catastrophe, the more I liked the film.  The Poseidon Adventure, Airport (1970-1979), Earthquake, and The Towering Inferno.   Imagine my delight and surprise when, during our project management discussion, Gilles pulls out the Towering Inferno.  "It's like the movie the Towering Inferno." he says.  "Has anyone ever seen that movie?"  More blank stares.  He continues to explain the movie and how it relates to our current topic - which, by the way, is actually right on point.  But the poor students are so confused by his explanation of the movie that they can't grasp the relevance of his example.  Poor Gilles.  I raise my hand and say "it was OJ's fault you know.  The Towering Inferno, was really OJ's fault."   Sometimes being old has it's advantages and for those 20 somethings in the class who don't understand well, they are just going to have to Google it.

I once read an article about a woman who received her undergraduate degree in history at the age of 93, or something around that age.  I remember thinking about how old she was and how far fetched it seemed to hold that out as some major accomplishment.  I mean, what the hell took her so long?  Aren’t undergraduate degrees for 20 somethings who are embarking upon life’s journey full of vim, vigor and vitality? What was she going to do with her newfound letters at the tender age of 93?  I was 28 when I thought those things and now, at the age of 44, that accomplishment no longer seems so far fetched.

When my wonderfully supportive husband suggested that I return to the hallowed halls to finish what I started 26 years ago (that’s younger than most college students by the way), I thought he was joking.  I mean, I really thought he was pulling off a great little practical joke and, for my husband that’s no easy feat.  He was serious.  When I really started thinking about it, I could come up with quite a few reasons against embarking upon this journey:

1. I’m too old
2. It’s too expensive
3. My job’s too demanding
4. I don’t have the time
5. I’m too old - oh, did I mention that already?  It bears repeating.

My husband, in his patient and calm way, gently shot down each one of my objections.  He’s very very good at that, which can be infuriating.  After we hashed through all of my objections, I started thinking seriously about what he was saying and how I could go about actually doing what he was suggesting.  

I should tell you that I’m actually quite close to being done with my undergraduate work. Having started in 1984, I have a pretty good head start on my classmates.  Much like everyone else, I went away to college right after high school.  I was excited to get away from my small town roots and venture out into the world on my own.  However, I was completely unprepared for the “world” and all of its temptations.   I discovered alcohol, sex and delicious freedom.  What I didn’t discover was the importance of attending class.  I managed to eek out a .79 GPA at the end of my first semester.  When the grades came in the mail, my dad just shook his head and said, “wow, I didn’t even know they gave them below 1.”  I returned for my second and third semesters with a renewed sense of hope and pride and the threat of expulsion if I didn’t get my shit together.  I got it together and bumped my GPA up quite a bit, then I met a boy.  This boy, as it turned out, ended up being my husband and then the father of my children.  Over the next 16 years, I took classes here and there - between the children, the divorce, the disastrous relationship, the crazy job and the loss of said crazy job and it’s tuition reimbursement plan.  In the end, I was left several classes short of my degree and holding a $5,000 unpaid tuition bill thanks to Enron and Arthur Andersen.  

Fast forward to 2010, am I ready for a return to learning?  Well, it seems that most of my objections have been overcome.  I figured out a way to pay for it myself - it sucks and I’m expecting Loft and Whole Foods to conduct a well-being visit any day now.  I have talked to my bosses and they are on board (for the most part) with my decision.  I’m only taking 1 class per week so it shouldn’t be that time consuming.  So, as you can see, I have addressed all of the original objections.  Well, not all.  That “too old” thing - can’t overcome that.  Just have to learn to deal with that one and hey, with age comes wisdom and, in the end, isn’t that what I’m seeking.