MORE CLASSES

BEFORE I CONTINUE, I SHOULD TELL YOU THAT SUMMER IS HERE, AND I HAVE 5 GRANDSON'S TO KEEP EVERY DAY. ONE HAS BEEN VERY SICK, ELI, AND HE HAS NOT BEEN OVER BUT THE OTHER FOUR SURE KEEP ME BUSY. I ALSO HAVE THOR, WHO IS ELI'S AND JACOB'S GERMAN SHEPHERD PUPPY, AS WELL AS OUR OWN GERMAN SHEPHERD PUPPY, ROCKY AND THE CAT, LUCKY. OH YES, MARTIN IS OUT FOR THE SUMMER, SO I HAVE HIM TOO! I DIDN'T EVEN REALIZE THAT I WAS GETTING BEHIND ON MY BLOG, AND PROMISE TO DO BETTER.
WELL, I WAS BECOMING USED TO CLASSES, AND MY GOAL WAS TO GET INTO NURSING SCHOOL. I HAD TO TAKE A YEAR OF PRE-REQS TO GET THERE, AND FROM WHERE I WAS STANDING, IT SEEMED THAT IT WOULD TAKE FOREVER. I HAD PASSED MY SPRING CLASSES, AND NOW IT WAS SUMMER. MARTIN AND I CELEBRATED OUR 25TH ANNIVERSARY, AND THE CHILDREN GAVE US A LOVELY PARTY. IT WAS SO SPECIAL. I WAS TAKING MATH, AND PSYCHOLOGY 2. I HAD TO TAKE THE MATH ENTRANCE AGAIN TO CONTINUE BEING IN SCHOOL, AND I WAS SO FRIGHTENED. I WAS AFRAID THAT I WOULD FAIL. I TOOK ANOTHER REMEDIAL CLASS (A FAST TRACK CLASS) JUST TO BE SURE THAT I COULD DO IT, AND THE BIG DAY CAME. THE MATH TEST DIDN'T SEEM TO BE SO BAD, AND I TURNED IN MY TEST, BUT WITH TREPIDATION. I HAD TO WAIT FOR MY SCORES BECAUSE THIS WAS THE TEST REQUIRED BY THE STATE TO CONTINUE IN COLLEGE. A FEW WEEKS WENT BY, AND FINALLY, THE ENVELOPE CAME. I COULDN'T OPEN IT. I FELT LIKE MY WHOLE FUTURE DEPENDED ON WHAT THE SCORES WERE. I HAD TO MAKE AT LEAST A 220 OUT OF 300, AND I WAS SURE THAT I WOULD MAKE A 219 OR SOMETHING EQUALLY EMBARRASSING. I REMEMBERED MY FRIEND WHO TOOK REMEDIAL MATH FOR 4 TIMES, AND I COULD SEE MYSELF SITTING THERE, JUST LIKE HER, LISTENING TO SMART MOUTH LITTLE KNOW-IT-ALLS MAKING FUN OF ME. MY HANDS SHOOK, AND I OPENED THE ENVELOPE. I GAVE IT TO MARTIN, AND STARTED CRYING. I WAS SO SCARED- AND THEN HE GOT THE LOOK ON HIS FACE. I KNEW IT! I HAD FAILED! I COULDN'T BREATH- AND HE HANDED ME THE LETTER, TELLING ME TO SIT DOWN FIRST. I FINALLY SNAPPED MY EYES ON THE LETTER, AND MY SCORE- 294! I SCREAMED LIKE AN APE IN A BANANA TREE! I HAD PASSED! I WAS OKAY! I COULD DO ANYTHING! TAKE THAT IMAGINARY SMARTY-MOUTH KNOW-IT-ALL GIRLS! HA! I COULDN'T STOP SQUEALING- HUGGING MARTIN, DANCING IN A CIRCLE, AND IN GENERAL, ACTING QUITE INSANE! I HAD PASSED, AND THE WORLD WAS MY OYSTER! WELL, AS WE ALL KNOW, AN OYSTER IS A SLIPPERY LITTLE THING- AND THAT BECAME VERY APPARENT WHEN I HAD TO TAKE GENERAL MATH NEXT. I TOOK A SECOND SUMMER COURSE, GENERAL MATH, TO QUALIFY FOR NURSING SCHOOL. PLEASE! TRIG, ALGEBRA, GRAFTING, EXPONENTS, AND ON AND ON. EVERY WEEK ANOTHER TYPE OF MATH. NOW, THE TEARS FLOWED FREELY. I DID EXTRA WORK IN THE LIBRARY TO HELP MYSELF, AND CRIED EVERY DAY. MY POOR BRAIN BEGAN TO HURT. MY TEACHER WAS A NIGHTMARE-AND I FELT LIKE AN IDIOT. MY NERVES WERE VERY SHORT, AND ONE DAY WHEN I HAD A SUBSTITUTE, I ALMOST GOT MYSELF KICKED OUT OF SCHOOL. I WENT TO HIM AND ASKED A QUESTION, AND HE SAID, "YOU HAVE A BOOK DON'T YOU? LOOK IT UP!" MY TEMPER SNAPPED AND I SAID, "LOOK, I AM NOT PAYING A TON OF MONEY TO LOOK STUFF UP IN A BOOK. I AM PAYING A TON OF MONEY SO THAT MY INSTRUCTOR, AND IN YOUR CASE I USE THE TERM LIGHTLY, WILL ANSWER MY QUESTIONS. NOW, ARE YOU GOING TO HELP ME OR NOT?!!!" HE SLAMMED THE BOOK OPEN AND TOOK A FEW MOMENTS TO HELP ME. GROUCH. SPEAKING OF THAT, IT WAS NOT ALL FUN AND GAMES, NO MATTER WHAT CLASS I WAS TAKING. IT SEEMED THAT I WAS MORE NERVY THEN, AND DIDN'T MIND SPEAKING MY MIND. IN ENGLISH 2, THE INSTRUCTOR GAVE A SHORT SPEECH AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SEMESTER. SHE SAID THAT SINCE THIS WAS ENGLISH 2, SHE WOULD NOT EVEN CONSIDER HELPING ANYONE WHO COULD NOT SPEAK ENGLISH, SHE WAS NOT A LANGUAGE TEACHER BUT SHE WAS THERE TO TEACH WRITING AND ENGLISH HISTORY. IF ANYONE HAD A PROBLEM WITH THAT, THEN SHE SUGGESTED THEY QUIT THE CLASS AND TAKE REMEDIAL ENGLISH. SHE HAD NO TIME TO BABY SIT THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, AND WOULD GLADLY FAIL ANYONE SHE FELT COULD NOT MAKE IT IN HER CLASS. I THINK THAT I AND MAYBE 2 OTHERS WERE AMERICAN, AND THE BULK OF THE CLASS WERE SPANISH, VIETNAMESE, KOREAN, CHINESE AND WHO KNOWS WHAT ELSE. THERE FACES WERE STRICKEN, AND I COULD SEE THAT MANY OF THEM WERE FRIGHTENED. I STOOD UP AND SAID THAT I WOULD BE GLAD TO HELP ANYONE THAT NEEDED ME, AND WON A GLARE FROM "TEACHER". GOSH, AFTER CLASS, I HAD ABOUT 15 STUDENTS COME UP TO ME AND ASK FOR HELP. I DID HELP THEM. WE HAD LOTS OF SESSIONS AS I EXPLAINED THE ASSIGNMENTS, HELPED THEM WITH REPORTS ON HAMLET, AND READ THE ASSIGNED READING WITH THEM. I SPENT SO MUCH TIME WITH THEM, THAT I WORRIED ABOUT MY OTHER CLASSES. BUT, IN THE END, EVERYONE PASSED! ON THE LAST DAY OF THE SEMESTER, THE INSTRUCTOR WAS HANDING OUT TERM PAPERS, CALLING EACH OF US TO THE FRONT. SHE CALLED ME LAST, HANDING ME MY PAPER WITH A MALICIOUS SMILE. ON THE FRONT PAGE WAS A HUGE "F" AND WRITTEN IN RED WAS THE FOLLOWING: YOU NEED TO TAKE REMEDIAL ENGLISH, I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU EVEN ATTEMPTED MY CLASS. MAYBE YOU WILL THINK ABOUT THAT NEXT TIME YOU OFFER TO HELP.
I WAS SHOCKED. I KNEW I HAD MADE AT LEAST A "B"- AND I LOOKED SHARPLY AT HER. "OH DEAR" SHE SAID, "DID I MAKE A BOO-BOO? GIVE ME YOUR PAPER BACK AND I WILL FIX IT". I LEANED INTO HER FACE AND HISSED, "LADY, YOU CAN FIX IT IN THE DEAN'S OFFICE. I WANT TO MAKE SURE HE SEES WHAT KIND OF A VICIOUS BIGGOT YOU ARE. I AM GOING STRAIGHT THERE AS SOON AS I LEAVE." I WENT TO MY DESK, GOT MY THINGS AND WAS WALKING OUT, WHEN SHE SAID TO THE CLASS, "ALL OF YOU WHO KNOW YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE PASSED THIS COURSE CAN THANK HER!" AND POINTED AT ME. I SMILED AND SAID, "ALL OF YOU ARE WELCOME!" I DID GO TO THE DEAN, AND GAVE HIM MY PAPER, TELLING HIM WHAT HAD HAPPENED. TURNS OUT I MADE AND A FOR THAT CLASS. I NEVER DID SPEAK TO THAT INSTRUCTOR AGAIN, BUT ONE STUDENT WHO'S FATHER MADE EGGROLLS, OFFERED MY A LIFETIME SUPPLY OF EGGROLLS FOR HELPING HIM. OTHERS WERE SO GRATEFUL, IT WAS WORTH EVERYTHING. I ENJOYED ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY, AND ONE PARTICULAR SUBJECT THAT REALLY STOOD OUT WAS THE ADRENAL GLANDS. AT THE TIME I DID NOT KNOW WHY, BUT I STUDIED ALL I COULD ON THEM. LATER I WOULD BE VERY GRATEFUL FOR MY DILIGENCE. I HAD MANY EXPERIENCES IN COLLEGE, AND IT WAS A TIME OF CHANGE AND GROWTH. THE WINTER PASSED, AND SOON, I WAS APPLYING FOR NURSING SCHOOL. I WAS ACCEPTED, AND HAD THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS TO GET READY. I GOT MY UNIFORMS, BOOKS AND COURAGE TOGETHER. AS USUAL, I CRIED WHEN I TRIED ON MY UNIFORM, I COULDN'T BELIEVE THE DREAM WAS COMING TRUE. JANUARY CAME, AND I STARTED NURSING SCHOOL. THE RULES WERE TERRIBLY STRICT, AND I FELT SO INTIMIDATED. OUR FIRST SUBJECT WAS HAND WASHING. GOOD GRIEF, I HAD BEEN WASHING MY HANDS FOR 44 YEARS, AND YET, I WAS AFRAID I WOULD NOT DO IT RIGHT! THE INSTRUCTOR STOOD OVER ME AS I WASHED THEM ACCORDING TO THE INSTRUCTIONS THAT I HAD MEMORIZED. I CAREFULLY WET AND SOAPED MY HANDS, AND SCRUBBED VIGOROUSLY. EVERY INCH OF MY HANDS GOT SCRUBBED, AS WELL AS MY NAILS. JUST AS THE BOOK TAUGHT. FINALLY, THE INSTRUCTOR SAID, "MRS. SEE, MOVE ALONG. YOU ARE NOT PERFORMING SURGERY!" BUT, I GOT AN A FOR HAND WASHING. THEN, IT WAS MAKING BEDS. COME ON, HOW MANY WAYS CAN YOU MAKE A BED? BUT, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, IT WAS WORK! YES, I CAN BOUNCE A QUARTER OFF OF A SHEET! I PASSED BED MAKING TOO, AND WENT HOME TO BRAG. I HAD A FRIEND OVER FOR SUPPER THAT NIGHT, AND SHE WAS KIND OF SLOW. AS I BRAGGED ABOUT HOW I MADE A BED THAT DAY, SHE LOOKED AT ME LIKE I WAS CRAZY. "SHOOT, I BEEN MAKIN' BEDS ALL MY LIFE- AND HOW OLD ARE YOU?" SHE ASKED. I FELT FOOLISH, AND LEARNED RIGHT THEN, THAT NOT EVERYONE WILL APPRECIATE THE INCREMENTAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS I WAS GOING TO MAKE IN NURSING SCHOOL! TOMORROW, I WILL CONTINUE! LOVE, NANASEE