NANA GOES TO SCHOOL!

WELL! I HAD SURVIVED A LIFE THREATENING ILLNESS, AND WAS STILL QUITE WEAK, BUT I HAD A FIRE FOR LIFE BURNING BRIGHTLY INSIDE ME AND WAS DETERMINED NOT TO WASTE A SINGLE DAY! I WANTED TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD, MY CHILDREN WERE GROWN OR ALMOST, AND I HAD TIME ON MY HANDS AS MY VOICE WAS DAMAGED AND I COULD NOT RETURN TO 911. AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, DURING A LONG SERIES OF PRAYERS I RECEIVED A DEFENITE
FEELING OF INSPERATION THAT I SHOULD GO TO NURSING SCHOOL. I WAS 42 YEARS OLD AND HADN'T BEEN IN SCHOOL IN 25 YEARS! I TOOK THE ENTRANCE EXAMS AND DID WELL EXCEPT FOR MATH- AND WITH GREAT TREPIDATION STARTED ATTENDING CLASSES. MY BOOKS WERE HEAVY AND I HAD TO HAVE A ROLLING CART TO TAKE THEM WITH ME. THE CLASSES WERE FAR APART ON CAMPUS WHICH REQUIRED LOTS OF WALKING, WITH ONLY 8 MINUTES BETWEEN CLASSES. THE INSTRUCTORS UNDERSTOOD IF I WAS A MINUTE OR TWO LATE, BUT I MADE EVERY EFFORT TO GET TO EACH CLASS ON TIME. THERE WERE QUITE A FEW LADIES RETURNING TO SCHOOL AFTER RAISING THEIR FAMILIES-AND ALL OF US WERE NERVOUS WRECKS. IT WAS VERY SOON QUITE APPARENT THAT THE YOUNG STUDENTS WERE RUDE AND OBNOXIOUS, WELL NOT ALL OF THEM, BUT SO MANY, AND I WAS APPALLED THAT THEY WOULD ACT LIKE THAT. THERE WERE LOTS OF COMMENTS ABOUT THE "OLDER WOMEN" AND STUFF LIKE THAT. IN MY FIRST REMEDIAL MATH CLASS, THERE WAS A WOMAN WHO WAS TAKING THE CLASS FOR THE 4TH TIME, HAVING FAILED THE FIRST THREE ATTEMPTS. THIS DID NOTHING FOR MY CONFIDENCE, BUT I VOWED TO DO THE BEST I COULD. THE FIRST DAY, I WENT HOME IN TEARS. THE NEXT DAY TOO. I INVESTED IN KLEENEX- I COULD SEE I WAS GOING TO NEED THEM. MY NERVES WERE SHATTERED, ALL I COULD THINK WAS THAT I WAS GOING TO FAIL REMEDIAL MATH, AND HOW I WOULD LOOK SO STUPID. BUT, TO MY SURPRISE, THINGS BEGAN TO MAKE SENSE, AND I WAS GETTING ON WITH IT. NOT SO FOR MY FRIEND, WHO WAS RETAKING IT FOR THE 4TH TIME. SHE BEGAN TO CRY IN CLASS AS THE WORK GOT MORE COMPLICATED. THE YOUNGER STUDENTS MADE SNIDE COMMENTS ABOUT HER "BAWLING" AND HOW SHE WAS HOLDING UP THE CLASS. NOW THAT I HAD BEGUN TO RELAX, I COULD REALLY SYMPATHIZE WITH HER OVER THE DIFFICULTY- AND HOW COULD THOSE SNOTTY BRATS EVEN UNDERSTAND WHAT IT MEANT TO TRY AND FAIL SO MANY TIMES? ONE DAY, IT HAPPENED. MY FRIEND BEGAN TO CRY AFTER ASKING A FEW QUESTIONS, AND A GROUP OF GIRLS BEHIND ME BEGAN TO MAKE FUN OF HER. I GAVE THEM A CHILLING LOOK, AND THAT SHUT THEM UP FOR A MOMENT, BUT NOT FOR LONG. COMMENTS ABOUT HOW LONG AND BORING THE CLASS WAS BECAUSE THE INSTRUCTOR HAD TO GO OVER THINGS "YET AGAIN", AND IF SHE COULD NOT CUT IT, WHY DIDN'T SHE JUST QUIT AND GO HOME? I HAD LISTENED AS LONG AS I COULD-FORTUNATLEY THE CLASS WAS ALMOST OVER, AND THE INSTRUCTOR WAS LETTING US GO EARLY. I WAITED UNTIL THOSE GIRLS GOT TO THE SIDE OF MY DESK AND I STOOD UP AND BLOCKED THEIR WAY. GIVING THEM MY BEST "YOU ARE IN SO MUCH TROUBLE GLARE" I SAID, "IT IS APPARENT THAT YOUR MOTHERS NEVER TAUGHT YOU ANY MANNERS. SOMEONE OUGHT TO SLAP YOUR MOUTHS-YOU HAVE THE MANNERS OF A PIG. YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW THAT WOMAN, OR WHAT OR WHY SHE IS TRYING SO HARD TO PASS THIS CLASS. NO, YOU HAVE TO INTERRUPT ALL OF US WITH YOUR STUPIDITY INSTEAD OF TRYING TO HELP HER. THAT'S RIGHT, HELP HER. NO WAIT, I DON'T SUPPOSE THAT A BUNCH OF BRATS LIKE YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT BEING ANYTHING BUT TOTALLY SELFISH. YOU BETTER HANG ON TO YOUR LOOKS, BECAUSE, BELIEVE ME, THAT IS ALL YOU HAVE GOING FOR YOU! OH, AND IF YOU SIT BEHIND ME AGAIN AND KEEP THAT GARBAGE UP, I WILL BE WAITING FOR YOU AFTER CLASS!" THE FACT THAT I WAS SO MUCH OLDER AND OF COURSE MUCH LARGER THAN ANY OF THEM HAD ALL OF THEM WHITE AS A SHEET, AND LOOKING NERVOUSLY FOR AN ESCAPE. FINALLY ONE OF THEM ASKED THE INSTRUCTOR IF HE HAD HEARD WHAT I JUST SAID. HE REPLIED, "YES I DID, AND GOOD FOR MRS. SEE! TOMORROW WHEN YOU RETURN, REMEMBER WHAT SHE SAID. WE ARE ALL GETTING TIRED OF YOUR MOUTHS". THEY HUFFED OUT OF THE DOOR, AND MY FRIEND THANKED ME. I TOLD HER WE WOULD STUDY TOGETHER AND NOT TO WORRY, AND SURE ENOUGH SHE FINALLY PASSED THE CLASS. MY INSTRUCTOR NEVER DID SAY ANYTHING TO ME ABOUT WHAT I HAD SAID TO THOSE GIRLS, BUT HE WINKED AT ME WHEN I WALKED IN THE NEXT DAY. MY OTHER CLASSES WERE ENGLISH, PSYCOLOGY AND ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY. I DON'T KNOW WHY I TOOK SUCH A LOAD, BUT I DIDN'T KNOW ANY BETTER AT THE TIME. ENGLISH WAS A DELIGHT, PYSCHOLOGY TOO, BUT ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY WAS VERY DIFFICULT. THERE WAS SO MUCH MEMORIZATION, SO MANY THINGS TO LEARN. I CAN'T EVEN BEGIN TO TELL YOU EVERYTHING THAT WAS THROWN AT ME, BUT I REALLY TRIED. FINALLY, MY FIRST TEST. GOOD GRIEF, WAS THAT GREEK? WHEN DID WE STUDY THAT? GOOD HEAVENS, I FELT THAT I DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING AFTER THE FIRST 4 WEEKS THAT I HAD STUDIED. I GOT MY GRADE, AND WAS DEVASTATED. I GOT A "D". I HAD PASSED BY ONLY ONE POINT. I FELL APART AND CRIED LIKE A BABY. I COULD'NT DO IT. I WAS TOO OLD. WHY WAS I EVEN TRYING? I WENT TO THE INSTRUCTOR AND TALKED TO HIM. I TOLD HIM I COULDN'T UNDERSTAND WHY I HAD DONE SO BADLY. HE TOLD ME HE, TOO, WAS SURPRISED, AS I SEEMED SO INTERESTED AND SEEMED TO BE REALLY TRYING. HE TOLD ME HE WOULD RAISE MY GRADE TO A "C" JUST BECAUSE I WAS GIVING SO MUCH EFFORT. I TOLD HIM HE WOULD NOT! I EARNED A "D" AND THAT IS WHAT I WOULD GET. I WASN'T IN THERE TO BEG FOR A HIGHER GRADE, I JUST WANTED TO LET HIM KNOW THAT I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT MY PERFORMANCE. HE TOLD ME THAT THE GRADE WOULD STAND AND I STILL HAD PLENTY OF TIME TO RAISE IT. WELL, I DID RAISE IT, JUST AS IN MATH, THINGS BEGAN TO MAKE SENSE AND I PASSED THAT COURSE WITH AN "A"! I WILL NOT SAY IT WAS EASY, BUT SOMEHOW, I DID IT. OH, AND I PASSED MATH WITH A "B", THAT WAS A MIRACLE! THE OTHER CLASSES WERE EASY FOR ME, AND I GOT "A"S IN THEM TOO. I FELT THAT I COULD DO ANYTHING! OH, BUT DARK TIMES, THEY ARE A'COMIN! I WILL TELL YOU MORE TOMORROW. LOVE, NANASEE