Today, after nearly twenty years of slogging along in life, having to scramble and fight for every single little thing, watching street-stupid, inexperienced college grads climb right past me on the corporate ladder -- only because they had a piece of paper that I didn't -- I've finally started down the path that my parents wanted me to take in the first place. My father is now beside himself with pride and joy. I just hope that wherever Mom is (wherever, that is, we all go when we leave this world), that she's just as pleased.

I was easily the oldest student in my classes. Most of the kids around me were about the same age as my stepson, and I couldn't help thinking that if I had forgotten to "be careful and wrap that rascal" when I was their age, any one of them could very well have been my own child. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised to learn I had dated some of their mothers.

Once I recovered from the initial shock of the generation gap between me and my fellow students, the rest of it was a piece of cake. During classes, I was the first (or one of the first) to speak up when the professors asked questions, and even argued (mildly) with one of them. I found that since I'm of a similar age as many of the professors, I look at them as equals (or near-equals), so I'm not as intimidated as the "younger" students to speak up or talk back. Hell, I served drinks to many of the professors from this university several years back and got to see quite a few of them with their intellectual "pants" down, so to speak -- a drunk is a drunk whether he/she has a doctorate or not.

In any case, what really amazed me was that even though this was just the first day (I was expecting little educational content, more "how to pass this course" content), I actually *learned* some things today. I like to think that I'm a fairly well-read individual (though I know that there some significant holes in my self-education), so I wasn't expecting any eye-openers on the first day of classes. Well, thanks to my philosophy professor (an area I've actually studied extensively on my own), I got my tuition money's worth the very first day. I think I'm really going to like that class.

I've only had half of my classes so far -- the other half comes tomorrow -- but I can't help but think that this is the best thing I've ever done (other than impregnate my partner, which culminated in the birth of my daughter). Even though I have a much fuller plate of responsibilities when compared to most of my classmates, I have a definite advantage over them with an extra (relatively) lifetime of experiences. While they bitch about the homework and having to actually show up in class, I'm thinking this is a piece of cake -- especially after twenty years or so of bullshit meetings, office politics, unpaid overtime, ungrateful clients and bosses, and perform-or-be-fired scenarios.

Bring it on, YSU! This middle-aged guy is ready!