Month: February 2018

Back To The Books

/ Lip Balm & Lemonade / 1 Comment

I finally did it. I’ve officially signed up for classes. I’m going to get my degree!

It’s about time. It’s only been my biggest regret for the last 28 years. Over all that time, I simply found one excuse after another not to pursue it.

Excuse #1: I wasn’t ready.

I wasn’t ready to go to college when I graduated high school. I was spoiled, lazy, and immature. There was no way I’d have made the most of the investment. I decided I would take a year off…instead I got pregnant and married. (Yeah, in that order. No, I wasn’t very bright back then.)

Excuse #2: My kids became my priority.

Getting pregnant was a wake-up call. I wanted my child to be everything I wasn’t. Slightly misguided, but with a persistence I never had before. I committed everything I had to raising a family. However, even with a supportive husband, I could barely juggle a full-time job and give my kids the time and attention they deserved. As counter-intuitive as it may sound, going to school would take away from the life I had created for my family. It would just have to wait until my kids were were self-sufficient.

Excuse #3: Was it financially responsible?

Again, it sounds counter-intuitive, but I had a good job and a good living. Could I really justify the financial investment when there’s no guarantee that my prospects would be any better after I graduate?

Excuse #4: I’m getting too old.

It’s almost 30 years since I graduated from high school. I don’t care that 70 year-olds have done it. It’s still damn intimidating to be the lone middle-aged matron in a sea of bright shining faces, all in their places.

And, what are the prospects for middle-aged women newly graduated from college?

Excuse #5: I’ve got a demanding job.

Over the last three years, I’ve had substantial opportunities to grow and evolve into a leadership role within my current department. These responsibilities haven’t left much time for anything outside of work. However….

All these excuses really just masked a fear of failure. I’ve been reminded though, I’m not the same person I was 30 years ago.

  • I’ve worked hard to create the life I live and it’s taken perseverance, self-sacrifice, and maturity.
  • My kids are now amazing, self-sufficient, responsible adults.
  • I have an amazing boss that’s encouraged me to grow professionally and has lightened my load to pursue this goal.
  • And, I’m not getting any younger. I still have dreams and time to rectify some regrets too.

So now I’m out of excuses.

I’m still afraid. As I tackle my first couple of courses, I’m especially afraid of the commitment I made. How am I going to get it all done?

I guess, by ignoring my excuses and practicing perseverance, self-sacrifice, and maturity. Heck! I’ve got some experience with that.

 

 

Girls About Town

/ Lip Balm & Lemonade / Leave a comment

Each week I spend a few days working in Madison. While there, I room with my BFF Denise in a little condo downtown. Two small-town girls living the hip, career girl, city life–something neither of us experienced before, being young wives and mothers.

Now before you envision a Sex and the City Carrie Bradshaw type of experience, we are both a little bit older and wiser than the young worldly women on the show. Life at the “Girls’ Pad” (a.k.a the GP) is a bit more subdued and conservative; however, it’s still pretty awesome.

First of all, it’s all girls. Just Denise and I and her two kitties (both girls of course). No guys to leave the toilet seat up, share the remote control with, or to give “advice.”

We can watch chick flicks, discuss romance novels, and gossip about work without reprimand. We don’t have to look pretty or shave our legs. And we can have wine, cheese, and olives for dinner whenever we want!

Second, it’s downtown. We can literally walk to the capital square, the Overture Center, down State St., and any number of restaurants depending on our taste and mood.

Ranked by National Geographic Travel as one of the best small cities in the US, Madison is a little bit urban and a little bit small town.

The neighborhood around the GP bustles with the vitality of youth and college life yet is still rife with cultural influences due to its proximity to the capital square and Overture Center. Even if you’re not a sports fan, it’s impossible to not get caught up in the thrill of a Badger game whether the throngs of fans are making their way to Camp Randall or the Kohl Center.

Jump in the car and within 30 minutes you can get from one side of the city to the other for shopping or a great meal. Then of course, there are lakes Mendota and Monona, the UW Arboretum, Olbrich Gardends, bike trails, walking trails…SO MUCH TO DO, SO LITTLE TIME….!

I’m especially anxious to explore the square and visit Fromagination, a lovely artisan cheese shop I’ve yet had the opportunity to visit. I’m dying to go in and check out what cheeses they may have to enhance a rapturously girly dinner. Or revisit Cento, an elegant Italian Restorante with friendly staff, yummy food, and delicious wine.

A couple of days a week isn’t nearly enough to do all the things we want to do. I guess we just have to tackle one adventure at a time. These girls about town aren’t about to waste a moment.