I attended a college orientation program with my daughter today. It was strange to sit there with her in the college theatre listening to the different welcoming speeches and reviewing the packet materials. I eagerly read each item of information provided and I found the campus map and pointed out the buildings where she’d be taking her classes. At first we were going to sit in the section of the theatre for those interested in taking a walking tour of the campus but reconsidered after we figured out where her buildings were…after all, it was a muggy day and well, you know how I feel about the heat.
During one particular portion of the program, I noticed that my daughter was particularly tuned in. It was the goal setting section and she was asked to write down her GPA goal for the first semester. I was pleased to see that she wrote down a goal I have always thought she was capable of; but yet one that will stretch her to invest herself in achieving it. It made me feel like she was ready to really take ownership of her education; something that comes with maturity. That made me happy…and hopeful.
Feeling pretty well oriented from the first 90 minutes of the program, we snuck out during the potty break and decided to walk down to the bookstore which was in a building not far from where we were. My daughter was hoping to get a hoodie with the college’s name emblazoned across the chest, a tangible way to feel connected to her new environment. But, the book store had closed two hours earlier. Oh well, she’ll have to get connected next week.
I love college campuses. I’m not exactly sure why. It’s a feeling that comes over me as I walk among the buildings. It is a comforting feeling; a feeling of safety. I’m guessing that those feelings relate back to my childhood traumas. Not too long ago, I identified my “drug of choice” for dealing with all of my childhood issues as education. Learning has always been my escape. I love it. I crave it. The more I absorbed intellectually, the smarter I felt I was which, in my warped mind, made me feel safer. It may not make sense to you, but I totally understand how and why it happened that way.
Just the short walk to the bookstore building I shared with my daughter this afternoon made me feel incredibly happy. Happy that she would soon get to experience some of the things I had in college and hopeful that she would catch the learning bug, really invest herself in her education, and experience real success.
It’s going to be a year of incredible change…for both of us. I know I need to strap myself in because…as Bette Davis said, it’s going to be a bumpy ride!
