Never Too Late to Start Anew

I am twenty nine (29) years old and, I am a sophomore in college… again. This may not seem like much of a big deal to some people, however I took my first college class at fifteen (15) and attended my first full semester at seventeen (17). Sadly I don’t have a bunch of degrees from these twelve (12) years since I began my full time college experience, honestly I don’t even have one degree. Though there are many reasons why I am still in college now, the two main reasons are; I joined the U.S. Army towards the end of my second full time semester and more importantly, I couldn’t figure out what I wanted to be, or do for the rest of my life. I am currently an early childhood education major at a local community college. I am the oldest person in all of my classes, in part because only eight of my nearly seventy (70) transfer credit were accepted here.

My first semester I wanted to turn tail and run as the kids in my classes would one by one introduce themselves, majority of whom still have the word teen in their age. However the intense pull to quit was and just go back to working at whatever, I began to see that I loved the prospect of being an early elementary teacher. I began to see that I would gladly teach far longer than was necessary to accrue retirement. In class I was often the only one who spoke or volunteered, since I’m not afraid of public speaking, my own opinion or people not liking me. Though it was very embarrassing at first I began to see how my years of experience began to help other students and how the tenacity I showed in not giving up on school, though this is my fourth major, helped push some students to keep going. I have been brought up to believe that everything happens for a reason and, we are usually not privy to God’s plans and how our situation may help another. After my first semester back in college, I began to see the truth of that statement. The ripples we create in life don’t stop going simply because we stop seeing them, they are simply continuously undulating beyond the horizon, beyond what we can see right now, which is honestly barely right in front of our own noses.

I am proud to be the oldest person in all my classes, aside from the professors. I can see people craning their necks to hear my stories and anecdotes whenever I am speaking to any friend in class. I have come to realize that we are swimming against the same current, some of us have just made the journey a couple of times already and instead of falling back and giving up, we should always strive to impart our knowledge on the newer traveler’s on this road we call life. The more and more I live and see and share, the more I realize I don’t regret anything, the good and the bad, not only made me who I am, but helps me help other people going through similar situations. I may want to be running through the finish line claiming that first place trophy, but sometimes our job is to be the guide, the person by the side of the road handing out water and words of encouragement.

It is never too late to start all over. It is not difficult, but it is not easy; by which I mean the decision is not difficult to make or the path to map out, but it won’t be easy to follow. Everything worth having and keeping is worth fighting for, no matter what age you are.

For those who want to think that twenty nine (29) isn't even that old so this theory of it's never too late doesn't apply to you, my mother recently graduated from Automotive Mechanic school, with an over 3.0 GPA at the ripe ol' age of 57.