It’s great to reconnect with people you haven’t seen for a while. I hadn’t visited with my colleague and friend Archie since I lost my job in March. He and my friend Mary and I took our friend Mark out to lunch for his birthday. The conversation at the table was at times lighthearted and funny and at others more serious and philosophical. The best part about it was being able to check in with one another and reconnect. It also reminded me of how good it is to exchange ideas, ask questions, and share ideas with interesting, engaged, people. Nice to be able to use the brain in a different way.
Note to self: make a point of putting yourself in places where you’re engaging in constructive, intellectual, spiritual, conversation. I’m also aware that I want to re-immerse myself in more intellectually stimulating reading and to do some writing. Writing this blog keeps the literary juices flowing, and I find that I need to involve myself in another writing project similar to the book chapter I was working on in August. I’ll be keeping my eyes open for the right opportunity to present itself in the near future.
I’m grateful this evening for education. I have been fortunate to have had access to educational opportunities. My parents were pretty adamant that each of their six kids would further our educations past high school–in fact my mother pushed some of us to study beyond a bachelor’s degree. I definitely would not have pursued my doctorate if she hadn’t pushed graduate education. I need to acknowledge that at times I was pushed academically in directions I would not have taken, and in fact never pursued my true academic interest. Nevertheless, having advanced degrees opened for me opportunities I would not otherwise have had to meet some really wonderful people I’ve gotten to know over the years. Through my educational experiences I ultimately found employment in higher education. In 28 years working in college/university settings, I’ve been able to work directly in support of others by encouraging hundreds of students over the years to pursue higher education. From high schoolers to PhD candidates, I’ve mentored and guided students through various elements of their educational lives.
Higher education is definitely a privilege not to be taken for granted. Across the country so many people have limited to no access to education beyond high school, and even those young people of high school age often do not have access to quality education in their primary and secondary school years. Being in a college environment stimulated in me a sense of intellectual curiosity–not simply from sitting in classrooms, attending lectures, experimenting in laboratories, and engaging in academic pursuits, but also from interacting with so many people from different places with different ideas and thoughts about the world. I am grateful to have had those opportunities and now to watch my children and my nieces and nephews likewise avail themselves of them as well.
There are many ways to be educated–the school of life teaches us as much or more than any other place. I am thankful to have had many excellent teachers along the way–both in the classroom and in the broader areas of my life. It’s a privilege for me to be an educator and an advocate for making higher education more accessible to different types of people. I wouldn’t say it’s a calling exactly, but it’s been my vocation for many, many years. I figure I have at least a few more years of doing that kind of advocacy work before I can retire to the farm that I don’t have yet. In the meantime, I look forward to engaging my mind in reading and writing, even as I continue to search for income-producing opportunities (a.k.a. a job). And through it all I remain grateful for the intellectual stimulation that comes from engaging in thoughtful conversation with interesting individuals like I was able to do today at lunch. Those are the times that keep the intellectual and spiritual curiosity churning. And sometimes, it’s simply good to laugh with friends.
