To Catch a Drop of Wisdom: A Family's Journeys in a Lifestyle of Learning

It's a lovely, rainy day here on the island, though some might call it dreary.  Especially given the fact that I have three girls ridden with chicken pox under my care at this time.  But, in my mind, it's a glorious day.   Outside, literally hundreds of birds are swarming the yard.  The air is thick with their joyous sounds: chirping, singing, calling out for no apparent reason.  With their songs they herald the afternoon rain and delight in the feast of worms driven up from the wet soil.  They swoop from the giant live oak trees to the grass, peck at the offerings and sweep back into the sky (despite the steady rain) to sing again.  They are mostly red breasted robins, but we've noted two cardinals and a few other smaller birds from unknown heritage.  I've seen this many robins here before, but I'm always delighted to watch the display.   The girls also, were delighted.  These are not my children, but most of my roommate's brood.  Mine are on visitation

Today I submitted my college application and registration fees.  I don't know if I've ever been so excited to hand over thirty dollars in my life.  It was perfect.  All I could think, over and over in my head, was "Oh my god!  I'm doing it!  I'm not backing down from this plan!"  The first official step. You see, I'm twenty eight and a half years old.  (I have small children, so that half a year is important data in my household.)  I've been to college once and fudge it up pretty well.  Not that I performed poorly, I simply didn't make good decisions, because my only guidance came from a strong but misguided spirituality.  "Feeling led" by some divine hand made my clueless-ness easier to navigate, but the direction was anything but sound.  In the end I earned a worthless degree from a worthless college, and two years worth of nontransferable credit hours.  Thankfully, my blunders have at least served to educate me as I look back on them