northern lights

Marie Dixon

English/Comp. I

Mr. S. Dalager

February 18, 2007

The First Day

            I never thought I’d be back in school at this time in my life. I had a wonderful job, running a medical records department for a private medical clinic. I always thought I would retire from there, and that would be the end of my working career. However life had another plan for me. After spending ten years of my life there, my clinic closed and put me out of a job. I had no computer knowledge because the clinic I worked for had not kept up with technology so just experience on how to file papers didn’t count for much. I thought, is this the time to go to school for that Paralegal degree?

            I’ve looked for a job for about two years and still haven’t found anything that pays what I was making or that interests me. I kept thinking about going to school to get that Paralegal degree. I always felt, that may be my calling. I qualified for a displaced workers grant and here I am, on my way to fulfilling my dream. Going to school to become a Paralegal, how very exciting!

            The first day coming into school I was very excited and scared at the same time. When I got to my first class I wondered what kind of classmates I might have: young, old, or in between. As I sat there, in my Sociology class, watching as students began to file in, young men and women, mainly just out of high school came through the door. As I watched I thought most of these people have no idea what they even want to be when they grow up. Some young ladies sat around me and we began to talk about how we all felt about our journeys ahead of us.

            I do feel the pressure. Am I going to be able to keep up with all of it? Do I have enough energy? How do I keep a job or maybe two, go to school, do well, and run a household all at the same time? I’m feeling all this and it’s only the first day!! Then I talk to some other classmates, they are young, true, but some of them have a bunch of kids, they hold down jobs, and go to school. I know they want to, and work hard to do well also, and that gives me inspiration. Now I see being a grandma and coming back to school is going to be fine. School is going to be a journey, a very hard one, but most things that are worth having are worth working hard for.

            Now here I am, a grandma, and back in school. I have a chance to fulfill my dream to become a paralegal. Something most people don’t get the chance to do. I have a lot of work ahead of me, it won’t be easy! In fact it’s probably going to be the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. But I know in the end I will have a job that I truly love and I will be making a decent wage.