Hopefully fear can be a motivator...

[Seamus]

So...for well over a year now (almost 2  ), the time that I have known that I was losing my job, I have been trying to figure out what I want to do, people say "well what do you want to do", well gee, I was doing what I wanted to do, and I had been doing it for almost 19 years, people say "it'll be Ok when God closes one door he opens another (or some such variation of the window theory), my Buddhist friend actually wanted me to join him for evening Gongyo and chant the Nam-Myoho with him...uhhhhhh...I'm doing laundry that night, sorry Dave.

The State of Washington has programs for people like me (several right  ) displaced workers funny people, it helps pay for things like tuition (not 100%) in about 40 or 50 professional and technical programs, pays for books (not 100%) and counseling (stop it) the problem is you have to find something you want to train in. 3 weeks ago I started kicking it into gear, I've read through so many catalog's and brochures I believe that I could star writing them, The golfhos golf cart has everything the casual golfhoser needs it's balanced design and sleek looks say power and mayhem with one breath, it comes fully equipped with a tap and keg, a lilmitless supply of buttless camels and a king james bible in the dash. sorry I digress.

So I narrowed it down recently to 4 or 5 classes, crazy combos, helicopter pilot, auto body tech,nursing, physical therapy assistant, chemical dependency counselor...yada yada yada.  So it would seem that doors are opening, but just as quickly they would close (he or she has fun that way  )

And now down to 2 - Chemical Dependancy counselor (the irony kills me) and Physical Therapy assistant. The Chem Couns is an easy course 2 year no math, The PTA is loaded with pre req's that take 1 year to complete before you begin the 2 year program, that is scary to me, also it is heavy in math, my math is at about a fifth grade level and I need to know algebra to get in.

I'm taking the scary route, sometimes fear is a good thing, do you remember the Jim Valvano speach before he died of Cancer?

To me, there are three things we all should do every day. We should do this every day of our lives. Number 1 is laugh. You should laugh every day. Number 2 is think. You should spend some time in thought. And Number 3 is, you should have your emotions moved to tears, could be happiness or joy. But think about it. If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day. That's a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you're going to have something special." I believe I may be thinking and crying a lot being back in school, but what does not kill us only makes us stronger.

That is all...and this is very cathartic.

The Right Reverend Seamus

[Spanky]

I wish you luck in your new endeavor.
 

[Uisce Beatha]

The golfhos golf cart has everything the casual golfhoser needs it's balanced design and sleek looks say power and mayhem with one breath, it comes fully equipped with a tap and keg, a lilmitless supply of buttless camels and a king james bible in the dash.

I've got a bike
You can ride it if you like
It's got a basket
A bell that rings
And things to make it look good
I'd give it to you if I could
But I borrowed it

Coincidence?  Perhaps.  But the avatar says otherwise.   

Best of luck Seamie. 

[hobbit]

Have little fear - my brother is a PTA.  Did the 2 year program thing instead of a 4 year degree, which drove my mother nuts.  Anyway - my brother is a great father, good husband, all round good guy..... but his math skills.... um, not what I would call stellar (neigher are mine for that matter - no idea how I got an engineering degree).  He passed.  Its achievable dude; just "don't give up, don't ever give up" (sticking with the theme  )

[spacey]

Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.

[Clive]

Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.

Suffering leads to tears.  Tears lead to make-up ****.


... Make-up **** leads to performance anxiety.  Performance anxiety leads to fear.  It's a vicious cycle.

[stegerman]

Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.

Suffering leads to tears.  Tears lead to make-up ****.


... Make-up **** leads to performance anxiety.  Performance anxiety leads to fear.  It's a vicious cycle.

Make up **** leads to a nap. mmmmmm....naps.

[Seamus]

The golfhos golf cart has everything the casual golfhoser needs it's balanced design and sleek looks say power and mayhem with one breath, it comes fully equipped with a tap and keg, a lilmitless supply of buttless camels and a king james bible in the dash.

I've got a bike
You can ride it if you like
It's got a basket
A bell that rings
And things to make it look good
I'd give it to you if I could
But I borrowed it

Coincidence?  Perhaps.  But the avatar says otherwise.   
Best of luck Seamie. 

You know Isky there are probably only handful of people (especially in our GaWfHos world) who would get this 

Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.

I quite like this, and as fate would have it I've been "searching" for that next tattoo, I'm thinking half down one leg and half down the other.

Suffering leads to tears.  Tears lead to make-up ****.
... Make-up **** leads to performance anxiety.  Performance anxiety leads to fear.  It's a vicious cycle.

And yet another piece of the puzzle drops in to place, my condolences to Mrs. Clive 

but his math skills.... um, not what I would call stellar

Thanks Rick!
And speaking of that, and assuming anyone reads this again...So I go into the the worker retraining rep today and I explain how fearful I am of not only the math but taking 2 fairly intense courses in the Summer (which is shorter).  And she agrees, kinda brutal, she gets to looking at it and says there are other "options", she starts "tweaking" it a bit, It turns out I don't even need Algebra I can take some Business math kinda thing , so blah blah blah, this is how my Summer schedule started to take shape.

English 110 5 credits (oh, I need to have 12 credits per quarter to be considered a full time student)
Beginning Keyboard 5 credits
Group Dynamics 1 credit...and then she starts to get stuck because classes are already full.
Do you wanna take power walking?...sure! *buzzer* FULL (dang)
Do you wanna take weight training...sure! *buzzer* FULL (dang)
So she looks at me at says do you like to golf?  me? (now I'm dressed in beige khaki's and a Bobby Jones Logs shirt) Yeah I like to golf...boom shaka laka boom shaka laka!
Golf 1 credit
I dunno, I've still got a lot of pre-requisites, and the PTA class doesn't even start until Fall '08, but hey, I think it's better long term than Chemical Dependency Counselor.  And I feel I want a challenge.
Thanks for the kind words you guys, I wish someday we can smack a little white ball and laugh and have beers, but until then.
"May you be in heaven a half hour before the devil knows you're dead"

mmmmmm....naps.

mmmmmm....naps.

[hobbit]

Boom shaka laka boom!   LOL 



OK - gotta ask - wtf is 'beginning keyboard'??  For 5 credits no less???  College is easier than I recall. 

[Seamus]

Boom shaka laka boom!   LOL 
OK - gotta ask - wtf is 'beginning keyboard'??  For 5 credits no less???  College is easier than I recall. 

Sorry, it was actually beg typing/keyboarding.  The beginning keyboard class was filled, they are still searching for Dennis DeYoung's replacement.