Jeremy, my middle son, went to a junior college from the outset, got an associates degree in fire technology, also hoping, ultimately to become a firefighter, then transferred to Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, CA, getting a BS in kinesiology. Now he's talking about going back for a masters degree in kinesiology.
My oldest son, Shawn, didn't get his electrical engineering degree until he was thirty-four years old. He's never worked a day in that field yet! He's been an Air Force reservist for fifteen years and, in that capacity, works on the computer system, first for the C5 aircraft, and then for C17s. Now, he's talking about going for his masters through the Air Force!
I had them and a few friends in mind when I wrote this poem last year.
Homework
For the eternal scholar,
Homework is never done,
A lifetime of assignments,
Interfere with having fun.
When I started nursery school,
My mom felt really smart,
She thought homework even then,
Was a brilliant thing to start!
The elementary grades went by,
In a myopic homework daze,
My efforts turned in daily,
Rarely got me praise!
High school made me crazy,
With home work getting worse,
Little time for social life,
And none for penning verse!
College woes befell me,
And linger as I write,
With homework and assignments,
Piling high each night.
Piling high each night.
I see a silver lining,
Not far ahead of me
In June, I finally graduate,
And have my PhD!
Carmen Henesy
Copyright © 2009 Carmen Henesy. All Rights Reserved.
Very nice poem, Carmen! Congrats to your Ph D, even though you've gotten it long ago!
ReplyDeleteThis is great. I wish my son could see this... Or maybe he won't like it. he's in the days of" Mum I hate school, it0s always the same boring stuff.."
ReplyDelete;)
i would love to be an eternal scholar. i want ot go back to uni, be involved in a post doctoral research, and maybe start another degree in a completely new field. i love learning.
ReplyDeletethis is wonderfully written with love and laughter.
ReplyDeleteI know about the kids changing their minds on what they want to do. My son said as he got his accounting degree he could not see himself behind a desk , so he took out on other jobs and ended up working behind a desk , not accounting, but loving what he does.
My daughter trained many years in dance, went to university, majored in Kinesiolgy, passed her first year with honors and said I HATE SCHOOL. She started a 3 year course with Ballet teaching, got back into her dane training , took her solo seal of ballet and passed it first time and has been teaching ballet now for 6 years . I think we all need to try something once , if its not for us, at least we can say we tried
Have great weekend.. thanks for the smile today
I love this poem! I love school and would go now if I could afford it. It took me 25 years to get my undergraduate degree. I started grad school and stopped because of my job. Someday I will go back. I love learning new things. It's hard for me to understand how people don't like school. Oh well. Neat post.
ReplyDeleteWonderful Carmen!
ReplyDeleteI love how you rhyme your words. My kind of poetry. I find that it says sooooo much more if you pin it down to the point just right! in a few words. Nicely done!
bessye
I think it's great that they still try to improve themselves! Well done Mom!!hughugs
ReplyDeleteIcy BC - I should have stated that my poem was
ReplyDeletea work of fiction! Do you know that I am
an RN of the diploma hospital variety? I am
not even a BSN RN - so I am not getting my
PhD!! I've taken several hundred classes in
forensics, all kinds of stuff - even spent a
week at the morgue in Miami doing forensic
photography and a week at St. Louis Univer-
sity Medical School taking death investiga-
tion but not one of those classes was toward
a nursing degree!
Dulce - your comment made me laugh. Much of
nursing school was boring - memorizing muscle
origins and insertions - but we just had to
do it to graduate so I did. It never
entered my mind to quit!
Kamana - I'm like you. I love classes, not
necessarily degree preparation but just
classes - in everything. Learning is fun, I
think.
Inky - wouldn't it be awful to be in a job you
hate for all of your life? I've been blessed
in nursing, especially for this past 21 years
in forensics to love the work I do. That
being said, in all the 21 years, my admini-
strators have been the worst people for
whom I have ever worked - but my colleagues
have been wonderful snd, of course, the work
has been meaninful and important.
My poor son, Jeremy, just got his kinesiology
degree a year ago - and his AA in fire
technology in junior college. He wants most
to be a fire fighter ( jobs are scarce now ).
He worked at Lowe's Home Improvement for 7
years, all through college, off and on, now,
has a desk job for a big Silicon Valley firm
which he hates. It pay well but he says he's
not using his brains or his brawn!
Nana Trish is Living the Dream - I'm with you.
If money were no object, I'd always be in
school or take one class or another. Good
for you, continuing till you got your degree.
bessye - Glad you liked my "homework" poem!
Hey this is great, I think one should contiue learning right up to when the Good Lord takes them home.......:-) Hugs
ReplyDeletebig congratulations to you!
ReplyDeletedon't worry about your boys, they will... mom is pretty much accomplished, you'll see.
happy weekend!!
hahahahahahahahaha! Again, again, you have caused me to laugh!!!! :)
ReplyDeleteomg!
hahahahahahahah!
You know...my son comes home with homework (he's in the 3rd grade) and I hate it, because when he has homework, so do I! Which reminds me...I have to go play Wii with him....
kisses!
So glad I came upon your blog today by chance...love it!
ReplyDeleteSee you again soon
karen
oh, love your poem Carmen. i guess there is never too late to upgrade or to shift, i just started with high school teaching this year and is again back to doing homework for my credentialing classes, and sometimes, i laugh when i complain about doing a lot of homework and reflect on what my students must feel :) haha!
ReplyDelete