The day I knew

I remember the day I realized that I had become a no-joke, honest-to-goodness, card-carrying grown up. 

I was in my very early 30s, had children in elementary school and had gone back to college. Back in 1975/76, I had attended college for a year after I graduated from high school. At the time, I was much more interested in getting married than in earning an education, so I dropped out to plan my wedding and my future.  Going back to college, even a Community College, after 13 years was a scary thing.  I remember that on the way home after I registered for classes and paid my tuition, I had to pull the car over because I thought I was going to throw up.  What was I thinking?  Could I really do this?  Study?  Write papers?  Take exams?  Pass Pre-Calculus?  AND continue to be a wife, mother, chief cook and bottle washer, Sunday School teacher, and work part time?  

The thing that caused me to lose sleep was silly.  I didn’t know what to wear!  My previous college experience was slap dab in the middle of the 1970s.  I wrote a paper titled, “The Trial of the Chicago Seven” in a Current Events History class (be honest…most of you will have to wonder what in the world is she talking about!).  In the 1970s in Colorado Springs, we wore blue jeans, t-shirts and hiking boots to class…when we actually went to class.  In the 1980s, I had big hair and shoulder pads were ‘in’.  I think I compromised with a new pair of blue jeans, spanking clean Reebok tennis shoes and a fancy shirt with shoulder pads. 

Here is when I knew that I was really a grown up.  On a day, not unlike this day, in September when the sky was a blue as could be and the air just a bit crisp…with a hint of chill in the morning, I got up and put on my Reebocks and went to school.  I was on my way home before I even considered that I might have taken off to the mountains on such a beautiful day.  Attending class was more appealing to me than skipping class-no matter what the reason! 

My childhood was officially in the books.  I had made it.  I was an adult.  Or at least…cleverly masquerading as such!

P.S.--I didn't pass Pre-Cal until the fall semester of 1999!  One of the things the Queen of MolliWorld got really, really good at was dropping math classes BEFORE the last day to get your tuition refund!  The Pre-Cal class is another story for another day.