Something quite extraordinary

There are times in a person’s life that are truly defining points, times that will be remembered forever: a first kiss, marriage, and the birth of a child.

One such defining moment happened last weekend, and it was quite extraordinary. It wasn’t the fact that I turned 51 on Saturday, although it is a truly amazing thing to think about. I’ve been on this spinning blue globe for over half a century; fewer days now lie ahead than behind me.

Still, it seems like just yesterday I was playing with the guys back on Flamingo Street. And running for my life whenever Bully Brad came lurking around. Thinking about it though, I guess one doesn’t really have to do anything to get older, other than not die. But not many consider that feat to be extraordinary. Unless, of course, growing up, they had Bully Brad as a next-door neighbor.

It’s true that the extraordinary thing that occurred last Saturday meant more to me than it did to anyone else. I righted the biggest mistake of my life with a simple push of a button. The huge weight that I’ve been carrying around for 30 years finally fell away.

Alone at the time, except for a gray and black cat asleep on my lap, there was no fanfare and it wasn’t covered by any television broadcast. Newspapers around the area didn’t run any headlines — although they probably should have.

The first person I called was The Wife. “I’ve submitted my last paper. You’re now talking to a college graduate.”

College is the only thing in my life I ever quit. What now seems a lifetime ago, I left Auburn University after three years of study without a degree in order to start down a different path than my brothers and sister, all of whom graduated.

At first, it was spoken of many times at family reunions. Rightly or not, I felt like less of a person because I was the only one who didn’t finish.

Eventually, like many family secrets, it was swept into a closet, only to reappear when least expected, bringing with it the same pain and shameful regret. “He’s the only one that didn’t finish.”

To say with each birthday it got easier to look back at that mistake and accept it would be a lie. The farther I got away from it, the heavier the burden seemed to become.

Will doors that have been closed to me now magically open because I have a degree? We’ll see.

What I do know is that those mocking voices in my head from long ago have finally been silenced, and I feel better about myself. That’s what really matters.

If you have anything in your life that you’ve left undone, anything that you’ve quit, or anything you always wanted to do, you owe it to yourself to do it.

Don’t wait 30 years like I did. Create a defining point in your life now. Remember, the only person that can complete you is you.

And if you don’t do it, this spinning blue globe will surely be incomplete — whether you have a college degree or not.

Congratulations, Rick

Submitted by dawn69 on Fri, 04/24/2009 - 12:17am.

Congratulations, Rick on getting your degree. By the way, War Eagle!

I think this quote is appropriate:

"Some people dream of success while others get up every day and work hard for it." - General Patton

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Late Age Degrees

Submitted by AtHomeGym on Thu, 04/23/2009 - 4:48pm.

Not a big deal Rick, I was 45 when I finished my degree with UofMD, but by then I had completed a successful career with the US Army and was well established in a Civil Service career. I'm sure you had similar successes in your chosen profession absent that degree. But kudos to you for closing the book--I know how it feels!

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