Taking a Risk . . .

Last year, I went back to college to take a PSW course. It was kind of frightening and I wasn't too sure how I would make it through the classes. When you start approaching the half century mark you tend to wonder what you were thinking. Many of my fellow students were half my age and I was more a contemporary of our teacher and SHE was a retired army nurse. However, I persevered and to my surprise I ended up with the top marks in the class. Okay, really - no surprise - but I really worked hard at it. I got an A+ in all my PSW courses and while I may have stressed about making sure I achieved those grades, it was important to me to prove to myself that I could do it. My teacher thought I was anal but it truly was something I HAD to do. I didn't want to do 'just enough', I wanted this to be my best effort.
We had our class graduation party in Bruce Mines at the Bavarian Inn in December and in April we will be graduating with the rest of the Soo College with caps and gowns and all the trappings that entails. I can only hope that I am not the oldest graduate there. I'm trying to imagine what it will be like to be wearing that funny little mortarboard - I wonder how it manages to stay one's head. Who will I invite? Will they want to come? Funny things to wonder about I guess.
Not having a reliable vehicle has left me with only one option - working at the Algoma Manor here in town. With resume in hand I haunted the halls of the manor once a week or more. I offered to help volunteer. And now - finally - I DID IT! I had my interview and passed my Back in Motion physio on Monday and it is now official. I am the first student from the class to be officially hired at the Manor. YAY! Technically there are two more but I figure that seeing as how I finished all the requirements first that makes me the first one. Nit picky I know - but little milestones are just as important to me as the large ones. They have to be - there's not a lot of large ones kicking around in the picture.
This is the start of a brand new life for me and I am so excited about this next part of the journey. This is not just a new job, it is a new career. I am just thankful that I had this opportunity to expand my horizons and am grateful to have had the support and encouragement of so many people. With the economy so shaky at present, it is such a relief to even be working at my age. I feel that there are more opportunities unfolding before me and I hope I am able to embrace them all. What an adventure!!!!! Now I'll be able to afford to travel someplace further than the Sault. . . the possibilities are mind-boggling.
YAY!!!