Rise and Shout, Former Cougars are Out

35 years ago I rolled into this campus with a suitcase full of homemade clothes and no clue about what I wanted to study.  I spent two wonderful years, learning a lot, but left without a degree or a husband.  A few years later I acquired a husband, but the only degree I ever earned was my license to mother, and I awarded that to myself.

This week I'm back, attending BYU's annual Education Week.  I'm sleeping on a rock hard bed in a miniscule dorm room with a loud mini refrigerator, remembering why I like my mattress, even if it does have a ridge like the rocky mountains.

I brought along another BYU drop out, my Mom.  She came out here on the train from Michigan, 56 years ago.  She was only 17 and when she met my good looking cowboy Dad, she left without a degree too, marrying him and moving to Arizona.   He graduated from the University of Arizona and she began her Mom career.  She kept after it, eventually earning an advanced Mothering degree after producing eleven children. 

We have attended two days worth of classes so far, learning along with 20,000 other people who have to choose from 1030 different classes.  Today I took a classes about humor, genealogy, psychology, angels, Napoleon Bonaparte's invasion of Egypt and another one I fell asleep in.  My brain isn't used to exercise.

Tonight I'm sitting on my bed of granite eating dinner... Doritos, a brownie and a diet Dr. Pepper that I smuggled on to BYU's caffeine free campus.  

Forgive me, learning is hard work.