What if...

A response...

And, oh the power of hindsight! Had I succeeded in school on my first attempt almost 30 years ago, things could possibly be so much better for me financially! But, and I almost put that in capital letters, here is the big question - would I be as happy, content, or learned as I am today? Here comes the parental speech. We all make choices in our lives that we have to deal and live with, and we all, hopefully, learn something from those choices along the way. Would going back and doing things differently really change who we are? I truly like to think that it wouldn't. Despite the choices and roads we travel, I think that ultimately we cannot escape our own destiny and who we were meant to be. Life's lessons are as much a part of our knowledge base as the information on a page, and regardless of whether or not we ever enroll in a formal institution of higher learning, learning is something we succumb to everyday. We cannot escape it for the simple reason that it is as inescapable as breathing. Regardless of the task, activity, or leisure we are always introduced to something new, something fresh, and something that we have never known before. Pay attention - what did you learn today? What sensation, small fact, or intricate formula did you come across for the first time? Did you see a new face, a different shade of blue in the sky, read a bestseller or the newspaper (even if it was on your phone)? Did you hear a bird call that you've never heard before? Did someone reach out and touch you unexpectedly and make you smile or cry? What was it that made you react, and what did you learn? Harness it all when you enter the classroom, whether it be the classroom of life or otherwise. Even in this virtual one - bring everything you are and everything you hope to be with you to class!