College.
I think I was addicted.
It took me 7 years to get a 4 year degree.
I am not a slow learner. I did not fail classes and have to take them over. I wasn't lazy. I took any where from 12 to 21 hours a semester. I even went to summer school. The problem was, I kept changing my major.
I had 4 different majors in 7 years. Art, Dance, Theater, Education, then back again. I just couldn't make up my mind. I didn't know what I wanted to be when I grew up. No, that's not right. I knew what I wanted to be. I wanted to be everything.
I came close to getting my degree in dance. I wanted to be a choreographer for a big ballet company. I came even closer to getting a degree in theater. I wanted to direct plays. I also wanted to be an art historian, a photographer, an interior designer, a writer, a butcher, a baker, a candlestick maker. As my dad says, every time I got "in danger of graduating", I changed my major.
If you know me, then you probably know how this story ends. After too many years in college, my Daddy took me to lunch, then took me to the registrar's office. He slapped my transcript on the desk and said, "What can you give her for this?" The answer was, "a Bachelor's degree in General Studies".
So, I graduated. My mom sang the "Hallelujah Chorus" at my graduation. Literally. They called my name, I shook the mayor's hand, my mom stood up and let 'er rip.
I learned a lot in those 7 years and I have so many sweet memories. One day my boyfriend (now husband) rescued me in the parking lot outside the fine art's building. I had driven my car over a parking curb and got it stuck. One time my dad sent me flowers after I made an 'A' on an algebra test. One morning I told my friends in the dance studio about my first date with Kris. They all agreed it was a disaster and I would probably never hear from him again! Two semesters, I helped teach ballet to some desperate Ag major cowboys trying to get their fine art requirement.
I've heard people say the most important thing about college is getting that piece of paper that says you graduated. When you interview for a job, no one ever asks what you learned - they ask if you have a degree. Maybe that's true, but I love that I was able to learn so many different things.
My favorite class was called "The Art of Creativity". It kind of wrapped up everything that I loved about college; about life. I'm in my 30's now, but I still think about that class and that goofy, slump shouldered professor who taught it. That class was a real turning point for me. It helped me see that I didn't have to settle on one area of creativity. I didn't have to just be a dancer or just be a painter. I could tie everything that I loved together and just be an artist.
Looking at my life today, I realize that I am everything I was back in college. A friend of mine once told me I was "too passionate", another told me I had A.D.H.D. My life isn't a life that can fit into any one career path. I still paint, write, create, and even teach. (See? I knew those semesters as an education major would come to good use some day!) I am always wanting to try something new. I guess that is a phase I will never out-grow. My new goals are to master watercolors and read the classics.
So, I guess I wasn't addicted to college. I just love life.
