Guest guest Posted November 28, 2004 Report Share Posted November 28, 2004 Hi , Well it is kind of a funny thing really, my college degrees have changed my life in many ways, and yet I have never "worked" in the field I studied. Well other than living it. I majored in Leisure Studies & Recreation and there was an awful lot of psychological stuff about life in general, and understanding what work was, and what leisure was. I did not realize any of this before, just thought life was all just a big blob of endless work and dedication, but it seems there really is a side to life where a person is supposed to renew themselves, and maybe even to rest even. My graduate level degree is in Therapeutic Recreation and it is a really interesting field where you figure out how to design recreation programs that will be therapeutic for certain areas of disability. The ideas are endless really. At the time I was interested in programs for stay at home caregivers since caregiving is so demanding that people burn out if they don't figure out how to take time out to renew themselves physically, spiritually, and emotionally. My son once said to me that going to college for me was for personal enrichment, and he was right. I had been a stay at home mom up until the time I went, to three normal kids, and one who was severely disabled, and had never done anything for myself. I got a big kick out of telling people that my study of leisure WAS my leisure. I was so clever. haha But really it is true, taking classes can be a form of leisure, just for the personal growth and enrichment of it. I also studied an awful lot of stuff, literature, art, science, psychology, philosophy, etc. It was basically all for the sheer fun of it, the "leisure" of it if you will, for the simple joy of living and growing as a person. Carolyn Co-dependency In a message dated 11/26/04 7:31:14 PM Central Standard Time, Autism and Aspergers Treatment writes: What I basically did was I saved myself. I had to learnthat I was responsible for my life, and that he wasresponsible for his. I did not have to save him, which waspart of my torment because I saw which way he was going, andalso that he did not have to save me. So I just let him go,and took responsibility for my own life.Carolyn Good for you.!!!!! I know that WAS a big step in the right direction and I know you do not regret that at all. I always meant to ask if you ever worked in an area using your college degree?I hope that you had a great Thanskgiving and tell me how it went and who showed up.hugs in IL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 28, 2004 Report Share Posted November 28, 2004 Hey Carolyn, As a marketing manager of an accelerated adult B.A. program, I love reading this! Just for the “simple joy of living and growing as a person.” I love it! Maralee >^..^< Re: Co-dependency Hi , Well it is kind of a funny thing really, my college degrees have changed my life in many ways, and yet I have never " worked " in the field I studied. Well other than living it. I majored in Leisure Studies & Recreation and there was an awful lot of psychological stuff about life in general, and understanding what work was, and what leisure was. I did not realize any of this before, just thought life was all just a big blob of endless work and dedication, but it seems there really is a side to life where a person is supposed to renew themselves, and maybe even to rest even. My graduate level degree is in Therapeutic Recreation and it is a really interesting field where you figure out how to design recreation programs that will be therapeutic for certain areas of disability. The ideas are endless really. At the time I was interested in programs for stay at home caregivers since caregiving is so demanding that people burn out if they don't figure out how to take time out to renew themselves physically, spiritually, and emotionally. My son once said to me that going to college for me was for personal enrichment, and he was right. I had been a stay at home mom up until the time I went, to three normal kids, and one who was severely disabled, and had never done anything for myself. I got a big kick out of telling people that my study of leisure WAS my leisure. I was so clever. haha But really it is true, taking classes can be a form of leisure, just for the personal growth and enrichment of it. I also studied an awful lot of stuff, literature, art, science, psychology, philosophy, etc. It was basically all for the sheer fun of it, the " leisure " of it if you will, for the simple joy of living and growing as a person. Carolyn Co-dependency In a message dated 11/26/04 7:31:14 PM Central Standard Time, Autism and Aspergers Treatment writes: What I basically did was I saved myself. I had to learn that I was responsible for my life, and that he was responsible for his. I did not have to save him, which was part of my torment because I saw which way he was going, and also that he did not have to save me. So I just let him go, and took responsibility for my own life. Carolyn Good for you.!!!!! I know that WAS a big step in the right direction and I know you do not regret that at all. I always meant to ask if you ever worked in an area using your college degree? I hope that you had a great Thanskgiving and tell me how it went and who showed up. hugs in IL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 28, 2004 Report Share Posted November 28, 2004 Hey Carolyn, As a marketing manager of an accelerated adult B.A. program, I love reading this! Just for the “simple joy of living and growing as a person.” I love it! Maralee >^..^< Re: Co-dependency Hi , Well it is kind of a funny thing really, my college degrees have changed my life in many ways, and yet I have never " worked " in the field I studied. Well other than living it. I majored in Leisure Studies & Recreation and there was an awful lot of psychological stuff about life in general, and understanding what work was, and what leisure was. I did not realize any of this before, just thought life was all just a big blob of endless work and dedication, but it seems there really is a side to life where a person is supposed to renew themselves, and maybe even to rest even. My graduate level degree is in Therapeutic Recreation and it is a really interesting field where you figure out how to design recreation programs that will be therapeutic for certain areas of disability. The ideas are endless really. At the time I was interested in programs for stay at home caregivers since caregiving is so demanding that people burn out if they don't figure out how to take time out to renew themselves physically, spiritually, and emotionally. My son once said to me that going to college for me was for personal enrichment, and he was right. I had been a stay at home mom up until the time I went, to three normal kids, and one who was severely disabled, and had never done anything for myself. I got a big kick out of telling people that my study of leisure WAS my leisure. I was so clever. haha But really it is true, taking classes can be a form of leisure, just for the personal growth and enrichment of it. I also studied an awful lot of stuff, literature, art, science, psychology, philosophy, etc. It was basically all for the sheer fun of it, the " leisure " of it if you will, for the simple joy of living and growing as a person. Carolyn Co-dependency In a message dated 11/26/04 7:31:14 PM Central Standard Time, Autism and Aspergers Treatment writes: What I basically did was I saved myself. I had to learn that I was responsible for my life, and that he was responsible for his. I did not have to save him, which was part of my torment because I saw which way he was going, and also that he did not have to save me. So I just let him go, and took responsibility for my own life. Carolyn Good for you.!!!!! I know that WAS a big step in the right direction and I know you do not regret that at all. I always meant to ask if you ever worked in an area using your college degree? I hope that you had a great Thanskgiving and tell me how it went and who showed up. hugs in IL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 29, 2004 Report Share Posted November 29, 2004 Me too, I did a degree in the UK when I was 35, and although I never used it for a job it made me grow as a person, so I guess it still came in useful. Lesley HK --- Carolyn <charper777@...> wrote: > Hi , > > Well it is kind of a funny thing really, my > college > degrees have changed my life in many ways, and yet I > have > never " worked " in the field I studied. Well other > than > living it. I majored in Leisure Studies & Recreation > and > there was an awful lot of psychological stuff about > life in > general, and understanding what work was, and what > leisure > was. I did not realize any of this before, just > thought life > was all just a big blob of endless work and > dedication, but > it seems there really is a side to life where a > person is > supposed to renew themselves, and maybe even to rest > even. > > My graduate level degree is in Therapeutic > Recreation > and it is a really interesting field where you > figure out > how to design recreation programs that will be > therapeutic > for certain areas of disability. The ideas are > endless > really. At the time I was interested in programs for > stay at > home caregivers since caregiving is so demanding > that people > burn out if they don't figure out how to take time > out to > renew themselves physically, spiritually, and > emotionally. > > My son once said to me that going to college for > me was > for personal enrichment, and he was right. I had > been a stay > at home mom up until the time I went, to three > normal kids, > and one who was severely disabled, and had never > done > anything for myself. I got a big kick out of telling > people > that my study of leisure WAS my leisure. I was so > clever. > haha But really it is true, taking classes can be a > form of > leisure, just for the personal growth and enrichment > of it. > > I also studied an awful lot of stuff, > literature, art, > science, psychology, philosophy, etc. It was > basically all > for the sheer fun of it, the " leisure " of it if you > will, > for the simple joy of living and growing as a > person. > > Carolyn > Co-dependency > > > In a message dated 11/26/04 7:31:14 PM Central > Standard > Time, Autism and Aspergers Treatment writes: > > > What I basically did was I saved myself. I had to > learn > that I was responsible for my life, and that he > was > responsible for his. I did not have to save him, > which was > part of my torment because I saw which way he was > going, > and > also that he did not have to save me. So I just > let him > go, > and took responsibility for my own life. > > > Carolyn > Good for you.!!!!! I know that WAS a big step in the > right > direction and I know you do not regret that at all. > I > always meant to ask if you ever worked in an area > using your > college degree? > > I hope that you had a great Thanskgiving and tell me > how it > went and who showed up. > > hugs > in IL > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 29, 2004 Report Share Posted November 29, 2004 Hi Maralee, I am glad you liked my letter. Where do you work as a marketing manager of an accelerated adult B.A. program? I was just reading something in the paper yesterday that they have here at the University of Oregon called Lifelong Learners, or something like that. I would dearly love to take some art and writing classes, or any kind of classes really, but the problem I have now is I would need a baby sitter! I take care of my daughter's three little children while she works, and I do a lot with them, but there are times I would enjoy just sitting in a class and learning again, just for myself. With me, going to college was amazing! I really had no idea how, can't think of the right word here, "retarded" I was! I had finished high school and then got married, and had four kids, and that was about it. One of my son's came down with his mysterious affliction and I spent years wrestling with it, with the school district, and with him too. My husband was a hard working electrician and was well along in his field, and I sometimes resented him for the freedom he had in life, while I was so tied down. But I realized it was all in my mind, how tied down I was. And the change came to me one day when one of my other son's who went to college, came in one day, and he said, "Hay mom, what are you going to do with the rest of your life?" I just stared at him, as he made a snack, and then went upstairs to study, then said, "What do you mean Jeff?" And he said, "Well you will probably live another thirty years you know." I just sat there and thought, wow I have thirty years, wonder what I should do with them! That was 1984, so it has been twenty of those thirty already! haha I didn't want to write a book here, but just wanted to say I don't know where I would be if I had not gone to college. I think I would be stuck in the same mindset I had then with my high school education and mental outlook, and dependant on my husband. Not only on his income really, but on him for personal validation and support also, just like when we married when I was only seventeen. I was so amazed to learn how a person could reach goals in life by planning steps and completing them one after another. I just loved it! Anyway I started at a community college which is easy to get into, and transferred to the university a year later after proving myself. There was no need for SATs or anything like that. And then I just sailed along and got a B.S. in '88, and a M.S. in '93. I did the B.S. in just 4 years, and the M.S. in just 2. A lot of people never even finish, so that was amazing in itself. I like to tell my nieces and nephews in this family, which I have a lot of, that money is the least of it, if you want to go to school, then UST GO. Money will come one way or other. I got student loans, and we did have a pretty good income then also from my husband working and Marty got SSI. I could have been spending money on a lot of things, and chose to spend some on tuition and books, and have never been sorry. I have my diplomas hanging here in real nice frames for my kids and grandkids to see, and I hope it inspires them to press on. Life is what you make of it! But I really would love to take more classes, and believe I will one of these days too! Love, Carolyn Co-dependency In a message dated 11/26/04 7:31:14 PM Central Standard Time, Autism and Aspergers Treatment writes: What I basically did was I saved myself. I had to learnthat I was responsible for my life, and that he wasresponsible for his. I did not have to save him, which waspart of my torment because I saw which way he was going, andalso that he did not have to save me. So I just let him go,and took responsibility for my own life. Carolyn Good for you.!!!!! I know that WAS a big step in the right direction and I know you do not regret that at all. I always meant to ask if you ever worked in an area using your college degree?I hope that you had a great Thanskgiving and tell me how it went and who showed up.hugs in IL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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