Some of the comments that people made when they found out that I was returning to university surprised me. Most people were excited for me and encouraged me. I had expected that. What surprised me was the reaction of a very small minority who hoped that I was returning to university just for my own self fulfillment and not with the expectation that I would get a job when I graduated. Two things about that sentiment strike me as odd. First of all is the devaluation of the principle of going to university for personal satisfaction and fulfillment. I got the message that the reason one attended university was to gain marketable knowledge and skills. It was all well and good if one could find satisfaction and personal fulfillment while doing so but it was secondary to the main event. Secondly, I got the message that someone my age should not expect to find work after graduation. At least one person framed the message in a way that made it clear that I needed to be administered a healthy dose of reality. Someone wondered why I would want to go to school with a "bunch of teenagers".
My reason for returning to university now is because I can. I also need to finish the degree that I started so many years ago. That unfinished work has been calling me like a siren for almost four decades. I enjoy learning and love acquiring knowledge for its own sake. I do not believe that I need to justify my decision. I have had a couple of other students ask me why I chose to return to university now. They understood when I told them my story.
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