Photoessay #2847 - Let go of the outcome

All this was supposed to happen 40 years ago.  As an undergraduate at UCSC, where their big schtick was faculty members encouraging students.  I wanted that so bad but nobody encouraged me a bit.  I concluded it was because I was stupid and, of course, not good enough.

I thought that I would work on things and that one thing would lead to another and I would be engaged in academic work.  I wanted that so bad.  But it never happened for me.

So, when I had some time and opportunity, I decided to just do it.  You know what they say these days.  Do your best and let go of the outcome.

Let go of the outcome.  We tell people that at Parent Group too.

So 3 1/2 years ago, I started in with an introductory memoir class at the local community college extension.  There I learned about the memoir certificate program at UW.  And then.  And then.

I took as my motto "I'm all about the arts and I'm not going to let my lack of talent stop me."  Not going to wait for others to decide if I was good enough.  Just go.  Just do it.

I knew that darn University of Washington was going to be some kind of advantage.  I heard about the Access program and I was all over that.  That's where, if you are 60 or over, you can take many classes at UW for almost free.  Anybody.  You don't have to go through admissions.  With some restrictions. 

I look at the UW as an entertainment locus, a big bowl of chocolates just waiting for me.

I realize that not everybody looks at that huge institution in that way.  There's a whole bunch more chocolates there for me.

I keep learning about new things, hey how do you do this or that at UW?  About disabilities accomodations, about providing note-taking, where is the mailbox, how do you get to that little courtyard, what kind of soup do they have.  There's tons of stuff to know.

Now, I'm going to learn about the writing center.  Since I'm going to present at that small conference, maybe they can help me.  They can serve Access students.  I have an appt next week.

Access students can do just about everything.  I keep saying, I can't believe they let me do this.

In a lot of ways, this is what I was hoping for forty years ago.  One thing leads to another.

And, as I mentioned yesterday, I can use University of Washington as an affiliation.  They have lectures and symposium there almost every day.  I'm going to go to one today.  I can do it so I will.

I'm going to:

The Lives and Deaths of Tao Hongjing: A Cave-Dweller’s View of Medieval Chinese Religious Biography and Epigraphy

Anybody care to join me?