I visited a college re-entry counselor yesterday afternoon just to make sure I’m still on track. I have a college transcript out the door, around the corner and back again which all amounts to 3 classes shy of a University Transfer Degree. Good news, the science and lab class I took back in 1980 counts toward the transfer! The bad news, the child development class I took in 1980 or 1981 does not, Rats. What that means is that instead of only needing 2 classes (math and another science), I need 3 classes which means that, if I continue to work full-time, which I intend to do, it will be another year before I can transfer! At some point I’m bound to cross the age line from caretaker to need for care.
The rest of the bad news, the well-meaning counselor informed that there are relatively few jobs for my chosen major. HOW CAN THIS BE! There are people growing old as I write who will potentially need the assistance that I wish to provide. As with anything else, it comes down to the almighty dollar. Who will pay me to do this work? They are out there and I will find them.
How many times have we heard stories of people who had teachers and counselors tell them they couldn’t or shouldn’t persue a career due to either lack of aptitude or job availability. Why do they keep doing that? I think, and I hope I’m wrong, they are strongly encouraged to first consider what jobs need to be filled and then they purposely counsel students in that direction while at the same time telling them “you can be whatever they want to be.” On second thought, having just finished a sociology class, that makes perfect sense. Our education system and indeed our government is not individual driven, but society driven, as it should be. Still that doesn’t help when one has a calling. It’s up to us (as adults) to keep moving in the direction that pulls us and it is up to us (as parents and mentors) to help guide our children toward fulfilling their dreams–the children’s dreams, that is, not the parents. Wow, I feel a whole other topic coming on, so we’ll end it right here. Blessing to all who enter here.
