School Daze

As part of my mid-life-crisis realignment, I enrolled in some classes at Phoenix College this spring semester. Tonite I went to my first class (SWU291 - Social Service Delivery Systems). On Monday I start my other class (SWU102 - Introduction to Social Work). I'm looking for some improvements in my GPA this semester (no math!). It's been a while since I've been at school. It's nice to be back on that campus. I have taken the majority of my college classes there over the past 25 years or so. You know, things like Conversational Spanish, Psychology, Successful Parenting (that one didn't take!), Public Speaking, History of Mexico, and yes, a Math 041 class or something like that! I have been trained in all kinds of good stuff! This past year, as I've poked around looking for non-IT work (non-profit work) it has become apparent to me that there are two levels of jobs in the non-profit world. There are the jobs I qualify for, which pay between $8 and $10 per hour (if you're lucky) depending upon experience (so that puts me closer to 8!), or the more I'll say interesting jobs that all require a degree of some sort! Now, I'm ready for those lower paying jobs emotionally, but we're gonna have to sell our house first, and I'm gonna really have to do some sweet-talkin to my Cathy to make that work out over the long run! Financially, it would pretty much be a buzz-kill! Not that a Social Worker is taking their next vacation to Maui to hang out with Wayne Dyer and Ram Dass or something like that! I volunteer for Hospice. As a volunteer your role is pretty much limited to some hand-holding, supporting, shopping, driving; very wonderful, non-professional roles. I absolutely love every bit of it, and do not refer to this part of the Hospice team disparagingly. I plan on volunteering this way forever if I can. However, I have this feeling that the Social Workers and Nurses are able to play at a different level with the patients, and that interests me. They are, by nature of their role in this, allowed to ask tougher questions, get involved, make a difference in some more interesting ways than I can as a volunteer. For example, a Social Worker can ask how's the family, how are you all dealing with this, what can we do to make things better? I guess I can do this as a volunteer, need to check with my coordinator I think! Probably better to get a Social Worker Degree. So, I get to figurin, I'm 51, I'm gonna be around a while, why not get started and see where this can go? I would really love to be in a situation where I can serve people, really help them out, and apparently that's what Social Work is all about. One of the definitions from Danny Webster for Social is: of or relating to human society , the interaction of the individual and the group, or the welfare of human beings as members of society. So off we go. Again, as I put myself in situations of service I find that I am surrounded by women. In this class there are 21 of us including the instructor. There are two of us that are of the male gender. Nathaniel is my brother in this room. We're gonna stick together! I'm excited about being involved and getting into the game. The class is primarily about learning how to use the systems available to serve folks. We'll be doing some case-work, volunteer work, etc. This is the first time I've been to college because I wanted the education, the background, and the degree. Perhaps it will take this time! There is some more math required, so we'll take a wait-and-see attitude on this.