Turning the Tassel

I did it! I finally graduated college. In May 2009 I earned an Associates in Applied Science in Business Administration as well as certificates in Human Resource Manager, Office Manager, and Accounts Receivable/Accounts Payable Clerk. It was not my goal upon entry into college back in 2001, but it was a second option when deciding what I wanted to do. This accomplishment took 13 semesters of college classes with a lot of hurdles, but I never gave up. This final attempt with my vision loss put a whole new level of difficulty on school. When I would schedule my classes at the beginning of each semester, I would take into consideration the fact that other people would be taking me. I would try to schedule classes on the same days and fewer days a week. Usually, my mom would take me to school. My dad worked very close to the college and could pick me up if I had a long break between classes, and he would take me home after class. My grandma also lived close to the school so I could go to her house if I had long time periods between classes.

I remember one day, I was walking to a class, taking the same route everyday. I would always cut through the area where the business/administrative offices were located to get to the elevator. With my vision loss, remember, I only have the small central portion of my vision. When walking I usually am looking ahead of me more towards the floor where I will be walking. That day I opened the door that the staff kept closed at the administrative offices, walked through, and BAM,  I was hit in the face. What in the world is that I thought? It scared me to death. I jumped and ducked and looked all around, moving back and forth. When I settled down, I looked in the area where I thought this thing that hit me in the face would be, and I saw it. It was a carboard spider hanging from the ceiling by a string. The staff had decorated for Halloween and there were skeletons, spiders, pumpkins, and other festive cut outs hanging randomly from the ceiling all down the hall.   I walked through like I was playing the old video game, Frogger, laughing at myself.  The next time I opened those doors, my eyes were quickly scanning for the hanging traps.

The two-year period went fairly smoothly. I just had to learn how to function and navigate visually impaired while learning new curriculum. It was a challenge, but I loved learning new things and testing to see what I did retain.

Life has so many obstacles. Most of them are unexpected and we are unprepared to face them.  Your life may not have turned out the way you envisioned it when you were 18 graduating high school, or even how you envision it 20 years later when you think your life is on track like you wanted and you are sailing through. Don’t give up and feel sorry for yourself if you are faced with a trying hurdle.  Push through and you may see things end up better than what you had planned for yourself.  Sometimes hurdles can be self inflicted. If it is, take a minute, be still, and look at what you are doing to create the hurdle.   In any situation, whether beyond your control or not, your attitude and outlook can make it better or worse.  When the spider hit me in the face because I could not see it, I could have turned around and gone home crying, but instead I kept going forward laughing at myself. Know with God on your side and a positive attitude you can make it through anything. From cancer (times two) to navigating school as a legally blind student, I made it!