Photoessay #2103 - These bad boys

I'm featuring a picture that Susanna posted on facebook. Her textbooks for her first semester in Occupational Therapy school. She said she paid $400 for 'these bad boys'. I love that funny phrase. Wonder why they are all blue. I know that her program specializes in patients with low vision.

School starts for her next week. Good luck, Susanna, your family stands behind you!

As my current professor says, "OK, here we go!" when he starting to present something important. As usual, I enjoyed my class this morning immensely. He went straight through, he kind begged for a break but we didn't want to stop. Mostly he talked about regional difference in religious behavior in the US. He talked more about the Jews who he really hasn't mentioned. The time flew by, as usual. Just two more class sessions.

He announced that today would be a lunch day. So he and whatever student would like to come with him, go off and have lunch together. I've gone all three times. Today six of us went and had Indian food.

 I really like the other students in this class, 10 people total, 4 access students such as myself. I had a wonderful conversation with K, young, articulate and beautiful, we chatted quite a while walking through the campus ending up at the bus stop waiting for my bus. She's very talented and ambitious though I do think she may have a few life lessons to learn. But fun to talk to! And J, a junior ROTC student who wants to be a military chaplain. He has such a kind, smart and funny way about him, a huge heart, he has gifts that even he can't see.

In some ways, I feel that I am now receiving a gift promised to me at UCSC 42 years ago that never materialized. The intellectual academic experience with meaningful communication with faculty members. I really wanted to experience this; UCSC hyped it up. But it never happened to me. I never got to know any faculty really and nobody showed much interest in me or what I could do. In truth, the campus was filled with spectacularly talented students such as K. I left feeling a failure.

So maybe, at age 60, I'm trying to make that happen. Maybe I've never given up that dream. And this class, my first Access experience has more than delivered. I have a piece of work, my devotional exercise piece which is my own work and original. I shake my head, I'm really putting myself out there.

 If not now, when? I really appreciate this experience.