College Degree @ MindSay

I decided that I wanted to start blogging again.  I use to..as you know.  I've missed it.  It is creative and its comforting.  Actually, I've missed the anonymous comradely as well. 
Me?  I think that I am out of college.  I studied at a community college for at least 4 yrs.  Doing medical stuff, studying western civ.  That sort of thing.  Then I realized that I wasn't going anywhere, just learning.  It bothers me that I don't have anything to show for myself, in education. I hate how American's base worth on a degree.  That isn't how God bases worth.  Nobody in the bible went to college.  God used them much more than I have ever seen him use a  person with a masters.
I don't think college is good or bad..I just don't think that everybody has to have a degree to be worth something.  I love to learn.  I learn more NOT in college than in.  But I don't have a degree. I don't need to explain how it has bothered me.  But I had so many things I had wanted to do that if I had gone off to college somewhere out of state then I would have missed out on what I've learned since then. 
I went to Prague.  I teach. I counsel. middle school girls.  camps. passion conferences. going to Poland.  And I am asking God do "stuff" after I come home in August.

So here is me now.  Back here again.  Where are you?

As many of you know I have been a part-time student for a LONG TIME. I am eligible for one degree in Public Service and nearly eligible for another in English or English Education according to which school I apply for my degree from.

In order to get my Public Service Degree (A.A.), I have to:

* have my transcript from one college sent to another - I just completed that because for awhile I had an exit interview hold, which I took care of immediately but it took the school awhile to remove it

*Re-apply for admission (I was attending another school)- done

*Change Programs (I have everything for a new program, need 1 class that I can't afford for my original program) -awaiting approval

*Apply for Graduation - can't do that until all the other stuff is done

In order to get my other degree, I have to:

-re-apply and pay all re-application fees
-transfer credit
- have advisement to see if I need anything else
-take care of whatever is needed
-apply for graduation

Whew...that's a lot of stuff...

I've had a lot of time to think lately, what with being unemployed and all. And lately I'm kind wondering if this welding career is really right for me. Ok, so it's not much of a career yet and I've only had one welding job with only limited success so giving up this early might not be considered wise.
But the thing is my brother just graduated for college and it's made me realize two things.
The first thing is that fact that I have seemingly over night gotten old and have wasted so much of my life and am really behind the 8 ball because of the countless mistakes I've made. The second is that I am the only one of my siblings (excluding the youngest, Maria, who has Down's Syndrome) who won't have a college degree. Sure, as a welder I won't really need one unless I teach it professionally (and I'm not sure o I'll even need one for that).
I don't know what I'm really trying to say. I guess my point is that I've been thinking about my life alot and feel like I have missed out.

Mark

Well, I thought that I would be posting this a bit sooner than 7pm on Monday. Where does the time go?

 

So, for those of you who don't pay the slightest bit of attention to football (yes, I am usually in this category), yesterday, the New England Patriots won.....again. No, that isn't surprising to anyone who doesn't live under a rock. Now, they just have to beat the Chargers and then they are on to the Superbowl and perhaps even more NFL history. They are already the only undefeated team (since the season changed to 16 weeks) and yesterday, their amazing QB did another bang up job. Tom Brady, henceforth known as the incomparable, glorious, Tom Brady set an NFL record for passing, completing 26 of 28 passes for a rating of 92.9% (ahem, and it was for 262 yds and 3 touchdowns). That, my friends, is the best a QB has ever done.

 

I find it impressive. Then again, I don't know much about football, and I would probably find Tom Brady impressive if he just stood on the field and smiled for the cameras, but that's just me. Not so for Jacksonville safety Reggie Nelson. It is reported that Nelson was considerably less than impressed by TB's performance. In an interview after the game, Nelson said, "He ain't all that...He's all right." Well, Reggie, I don't know what to say. Sore losers are the absolute worst kind of losers, and when you have Randy Moss saying that you're inappropriate, it is just possible that you have crossed the line. I know not everybody worships at the altar of Tom Brady the way that I do, but still, he is damn good at what he does. I know this because it only makes him all the more attractive to me. (And, well, nearly every breathing female on the planet).

 

Okay, that is way more time spent on football than I ever desire. And with stats, too. Moving on, I had lunch today with my friend Jason, who I haven't seen in ages. It was wonderful seeing him and being able to catch up. Not that we don't keep in touch, because we do, but there is no substitute for face-to-face conversation. And I found out during our lunch that he recently (December) finished his degree and now has a college diploma. This is something that I, and nearly everyone else in his life, have been nagging him to do for many years. I am so proud of him for going back and getting it done. So here is my shout out to Jason, for struggling through work, being married, and having a 2-year-old to finish what he started and get his degree. Lucky for him, his employer, Target Corporation, rewards such hard work and Jason was gifted with a promotion and raise just as he was nearing the finish line. Congratulations to you Jason. I am proud of you.