Tomorrow I have to wake up and write an appeal, a reasoned answer, and an explanation for any past situations with performance issues. I expect it to be a short piece, yet thoughtful. It could be as simple as “I had kids”. With my youngest now in his second year at MSU, and the oldest five years ahead of that, my own education has not been the priority for quite some time. The time for that has changed.
I’ll text my youngest son soon, and wish him a good year, yet that will likely be the limit of my assistance to his semester. I’m no more aware of his classes than he is of mine, at this time… well, yeah, unless he is still reading here, then he’s got an idea. Messenger bag, my laptop, several mini legal pads, and twice as many pens. One class has a printed workbook required for the course, available for $7.29 from the library.
The librarian, store clerk? Had issues finding the ‘course pack’ and we went back and forth over whether it existed or not. I apologized for my condition while clearly stating I recalled a single requirement for my courses, a so-called ‘course pack’ for seven dollars. After some time she located a shrinkwrapped package: “Liberty – Equality – Justice, PLS-141, Student Reflections Manual”. Not thinking much more of it at the time, I just unwrapped it now and found I have five identical student reflection manuals; spare workbooks for sale in PLS 141 at 1 p.m.
If I’ve understood correctly, my ENG-210 class is being taught at the Michigan Theater this semester- a weekly four-hour class to watch and discuss a movie of a different genre each week- big screen movie night, with discussion, for college credit- I heard the first week is a silent movie… I think the liberal arts might really be for me, for me now at least. A theater class could be fun if I had room to take one next year. “Next year”, that in itself is a quandary.
If the next twelve months or three semesters go as planned, I could have an associate of arts degree, a behavior sciences certificate, and enough credits to start as a junior at a four-year school in the fall of 2024. Maybe I’ve found some dream job and go do that. Maybe I’ve been awarded a federal disability and plan to travel, or been appointed to public office, and maybe I’ll be past the primary and leading a campaign on to a November victory.
Maybe I’ll still have my house a year from now or maybe I’ll be living in my car- maybe I’ll have my house and be living in my car for a few months each winter; visiting Mustang Island again sounds good. I’m clear to go as soon as school breaks for winter, December 14th. What a year it’s been, or two years- or four, six, eight- ha, the last ten or fourteen years really, before that everything was.. ah hum, everything was ‘normal’.
Whatever happens next year or whatever else happens when the first thing doesn’t work out will also be normal. Just another normal thing that sometimes happens to humans. It’s ten twenty-seven pm and it’s my first school night in the last half of my life. My messenger back is packed, the workbook, paper, pens, Sharpies (black and red,) mechanical pencils, and a highlighter. The laptop and phone charger are in there already, and I need to add a few business cards in case I need to share some contact information with someone.
I was in bed ten minutes before twelve and rolled around until I found a comfortable spot and listened to the TV until it turned off automatically at 12. Then I had Alexa turn off the light, and set the ocean sounds, and set the timer. I slept soundly until six or six-thirty then rolled and asked Alexa for the time every twenty minutes or so until past eight when I got up to use the bathroom. Finished doing what we do I thought of returning to bed until it was time to take my pills, checked the clock and saw it was 8:30. I took my pills, all of them, and went downstairs.
The day was balanced, mostly restful yet a mix of productive as well. I did not get the lawn mown though I did get the last bits of the tree compacted down to one pile up by the curb ready for pickup. I just added to my list to call Ben and see if he can also pick up a pile of brush, all trimmed and cut from the now bare branches. I’m sure he knows someplace he can dump it or burn it. I might just put a “free” sign on it for a couple of days and see what happens.
Made a batch of spaghetti and cleaned the kitchen, a little bit. The dishes need to be done again- an opportunity for another day, likely Tuesday, if I survive tomorrow. Four college classes in one day. Eleven forty now. Best wishes? Hoping this goes well, for me. What is an appropriate salutation? I haven’t consumed nicotine in seven days and I’ve got one CBD joint left, it won’t last the night. I’m feeling great about the lack of nicotine, however, I have been thinking about a vape- a zero-maintenance option.
Also, however, I considered that all day today and did not get a vape, or any more CBD, flower, or any other form of THC. I’m quite sure I’ll be too busy tomorrow and have no intent to resupply on Tuesday either- I’ll need to mow the lawn and I have a doctor’s appointment for an EMT test at 2, and I plan to visit my new credit union and likely open an eleven-month cd with a 5.13% interest rate. That’s all for Tuesday after Monday’s homework is complete- I’m presuming there is always homework.
I could easily meet one hundred different people tomorrow, 32 to 40 slots for most classes and some were full. The most vacant class, Intro to Film, only had 24 taken out of 40 available. Also, in four core classes, it will be interesting to see the overlap. Statistically, I wonder what percent of the entire current student body I will share a class in each of the next three semesters. Twelve fourteen.
Time to rest.