A Radical Sabbatical

I just don’t know how I ever found the time to do all that I had to do and work a full time job prior to this sabbatical?  I am so busy these days, that my head is spinning.  I can’t imagine how I raised two kids, took care of a house and a husband, worked full time in addition to working over-time and most recently, a second job, and did all that needed to get done?  well, maybe, I never did all that needed to get done…lol.  But I certainly have two terrific grown children who have given me a lot less agita than my parents (god bless them).

I’ve totally forgotten the feeling of partying all night and then having to go through a full day of college classes.  Well, I was quickly reminded this week but the morning after partying feelings were not the same today as they were 30 years ago.  We had our nieces’s wedding this week, on a Tuesday no less, but lots of fun in Lakewood, New Jersey.  Wednesday is my long day of classes, thru 8:00 p.m.

Sitting in class I felt as though I wanted to roll over and go to sleep. My hand barely made it up when my name was called for attendance.  I don’t remember feeling this way back when.  Then again, I don’t remember attending very many classes either.  Just remember the hanging out at student government, partying, discussing politics and partying, protesting the Vietnam war, meeting at local bars and partying.  But classes?  I don’t even remember buying textbooks or ever needing a bookbag!

Going to College is definitely an experience in your later years.  I am taking 11 credits and had I known I would have to carry all the books that I am required to bring to class, I would have chosen my courses more carefully and chosen the courses on the basis of the weight of the textbooks.

 OMG, my bookbag must weigh at least 30 lbs.  I have tried out several bookbags as well as dorky briefcases and let me tell you, I am in the wrong business.  I should be selling those bookbags on wheels.  I never thought I’d see the day that I would be schlepping around a bookbag on wheels but I am definitely going back to the stores to look for one. 

Speaking of textbooks, we all know how expensive these books are.  Well, I was hoping to salvage my book by not writing in it and selling it back online or selling it to another student.  Yesterday in Spanish, I couldn’t help myself.  The Professor made a very important point and had I written it down in my notebook, I would have never ever remembered the connection to the statement in the text.   So with a great deal of hesitance, I wrote in my pricey textbook, rationalizing the whole time, that I was helping the next student who purchased this book.  The mother in me was just glowing.

Share This

Well, needless to say, I felt more comfortable the second day than the first. The main reason for this is because I finalized my registration and managed to coordinate my class schedule. My second day at college was most interesting as they had all the clubs out on the Quad. I couldn’t help but want to look at what was available and possibly join a club. thats right, join a student group.  Who would reject me? I’m fun loving…. I love to party, I’m bright….. I love to party, I’m articulate…. and I love to party. What other ingredients do u need? In anycase, having been a real rebel back in the 70’s on campus and forever hooking up with student governments, I wanted to look at clubs that I never had the opportunity to look at or would have ever thought of joining back in the 70’s. mmmm, i passed so many tables……so many choices these days…..The accounting society - I dont think so, the alpha Epsilon phi sorority and  fraternity, the alpha phi delta fraternity the alpha sigma sorority and fraternity. Nah, it’s all greek to me!

The black family organization, the black graduate professionals, the black solidarity committee the black student union, somehow I don’t think I’ll blend in here.

hmmm, the College Cheerleading Club.  I always wanted to be a cheerleader and be part of a cheerleading squad. YES! but pink is not exactly my color….but they give u pom pom’s.

give me a B….give me an R…..

I can just see me doing hand stands and splits, bobbing up and down on the football field. I can also see someone mistaking me for the school mascot or after one of those splits, needing a chiropractor.

Well there must have been over 100 student organizations and not one that I  felt I could relate to while on a sabbatical.  I went home thinking, hmm, it would be a really nice year if I could find a club to become involved with.  Something where I could again, have fun on the college campus.

Sitting with my girlfriends the other day and drinking our Pinot, I suddenly screeched, I can start a SABBATICAL SISTER SORORITY CLUB.  We can do car washes to raise money and dance and sing and just have a blast. My girlfriends laughed and looked at me wildly and agreed a sabbatical sisters group would be fun for the year.

So next week, I’m headed for the student union to find out how to start a  club. Certainly, there must be others like myself who want to really be back on campus and spend some time with fellow sisters chatting, drinking tequilla and Mateus straight from the bottle, smoking cigarettes, talking about men, listening to Janis Ian and the Beatles and just thinking about today and feeling immortal…..at least, for one year.

Share This

What can I say, I’ve been given the gift of a study sabbatical. I know I will be forever grateful to the DOE for giving me this opportunity. Its a time for me to reflect on my life, take rigorous courses that would assist me when I return to my job, to learn new things, remember past things, to increase my awareness of my surroundings and to PARTY HARDY! After 30 years, i’m back in the classroom taking college credits for my sabbatical.  Needless to say, the first thing I noticed was that I was much older than everyone, including the professors.  The second thing I noticed, was that the student desks got smaller.  I don’t remember the desk coming right up against me or the seat being so small. hmmm, could it be that students are smaller now than 30 years ago? The first course I attended was an anatomy and physiology course. Whatever possessed me to think this would be a breeze. It was all medical terminology… what did i think it would be? lol Being required to memorize all these parts is not going to be easy after thirty years. I have enough trouble remembering what I ate for breakfast this morning, let alone, memorizing medical terms.

The second course was Spanish I.

The professor walks in and is speaking Spanish at a pace I will never comprehend nor understand unless I tape myself in fast forward.  I looked around the classroom, thinking, maybe I’m in the wrong class. I asked the kid next to me if this was Spanish I and he responded “si”. I certainly know what that means. It means I’m the only one in the class who speaks English.

The teacher handed out some papers and a sylabus. One of the papers stated, “NO SPEAKING ENGLISH IN THE CLASSROOM” we were only to use the words we have learned and communicate in Spanish. I think to myself, just great! Bien! Toda, whatever.

I learned the alphabet in Spanish. Now if I can only forget my French, Yiddish and Hebrew, Spanish would sound a bit clearer to me. The funniest thing was there are five of us in our 50’s and we were the only one’s sitting there with our textbooks…lol everyone else had not yet purchased them……kind of funny but i guess when i was 18, i didn’t buy the books until I had to study for my midterm.

Share This